(NAPSA)—If you’re one of the estimated 27 million Americans who suffer from osteoarthritis, many cold weather sports and activities can seem overwhelming. In fact, colder weather often intensifies arthritis pain. By following a few simple tips, people with arthritis can reduce the impact that pain has on their lives: Maintain your exercise program—lIt’s not just the cold weather that causes joints to stiffen, but inactivity. People who are normally active in the summer can become sedentary when it’s cold. Lack of exercise raises the risk for cardiovascular disorders and other chronic illnesses and can also make the muscles of the body less efficient and increase fatigue, stress and anxiety. If the weather outside is prohibitive, find an indoor activity such as mall walking, dancing, swimming at an indoor pool or yoga. Be sure to warm up before and cool down after your workout to help prevent strains, muscle soreness and other injuries. Talk to your health care provider before beginning a new exercise routine. Try hot and cold therapy —Both warm baths and heating pads help ease the pain while ice packs reduce inflammation and swelling. Try starting with cold When the weather outside prohibits outdoor exercise, consider an indooractivity such as yoga. therapy to help with inflammation and then switch to heat therapy for stiffness. Layer your clothing—By wearing multiple layers of clothing, you can avoid rapid temperature transitions between indoors and out. Take an over-the-counter (OTC) pain reliever—Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Aleve work to relieve everyday aches and pains. Aleve has also been shown to provide 24 hours of relief with just two pills—something not found with other OTC brands. For more information on how to effectively manage pain, visit the Osteoarthritis Resource Center at www.aleve.com.
