Arthritis means inflammation
of one or more joints in the body. There are more than 100 types of
arthritis, and most forms are chronic (last a long time, or forever).
There is no one cause of arthritis, and the cause of some of the
most common types, like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and gout,
is unknown.
Overweight and obesity increase the risk of
developing arthritis. Therefore, weight loss is very helpful in its
control. Active regular exercise has two major benefits related to
arthritis:
- It helps to prevent and control overweight and obesity.
- It keeps the joints more flexible or mobile. Our
joints are like the parts of a machine, which our bodies are. If we
don't regularly move all the parts that were made to be moved, they
won't move as well, and possibly, not at all. More information about
several common types of arthritis can be found in our Arthritis Section, and from the American Athritis Foundation listed in our Relevant Resources Table.