How can exercise benefit people with rheumatoid arthritis?

For women with rheumatoid arthritis, keeping bones strong is important, as these women have a two-fold increased risk of osteoporosis and the painful fractures caused by low bone mass. In a study published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, researchers found that women with rheumatoid arthritis who had the thickest thigh muscles also had thighbones that were denser and stronger. This finding supports the importance of exercise for women with rheumatoid arthritis in keeping muscles and bones strong and in preventing painful and debilitating fractures. Exercise does not have to be excessive or strenuous to stop or reverse bone loss. Two studies involving more than 800 older adults found that those who walked the equivalent of at least 20 to 30 minutes per day had much denser bones than inactive adults. Numerous studies have all made similar conclusions—weight-bearing exercise, such as walking, can stimulate bone mass to stay strong in women of all ages.