Aerobic Benefit - Health Fitness

One of the biggest problems that can keep a person from continuing to exercise is sore joints.

Unless you've had joint problems you don't understand the level of misery that can accompany the condition. It's not just physical pain, but mentally stressful as well because you don't even want to think about any movement. Movement equals pain.

The joints could be problematic due to an injury, a medical condition or just plain old age. Before you give up on any physical activity ask your doctor if it's possible to start slowly and work your way back to health.

Don't let your mind stand in the way of keeping you physically fit.

Most pain is only temporary and can be worked through. Unless it's a severe medical problem. So ask.

I know from personal experience that one thing you should consider is adding purified or filtered fish oil to your diet, or sometimes known as Omega-3 fish oils. Purified or filtered are more easily digested.

These oils have been talked about in the reduction of cholesterol, but the FDA says the jury's still out. I can tell you that numerous friends of mine have lowered their cholosterol by taking these fish oils.

Besides the reduction of cholosterol, it is now being documented that people are decreasing high blood pressure and having an increase in overall circulation, which is a major cause of some joint problems.

In my case, I injured my knee and a few weeks later it had swelled to twice its size. It then spread to my other knee and ankles. I was hospitalized with an infection and had two months of therapy to walk normally again.

I then had two seperate relapses and more therapy. The doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong. I got tired of the painful therapy and decided to try the fish oil theory.

Within a month I could feel the difference. I was able to resume exercising and it's been two years since I've had any joint problems. (I'll pause to knock on wood.)

Okay. That was a prelude to the exercise portion of our program.

The pain I experienced in my knee was where I couldn't bend my leg to get upstairs. Try that for a couple of years and you'd look for an alternative as well.

After a month on the fish oil I was able to get more bend in my knee. It was painful but I decided to test it. I slowly started doing the "wall chair".

The "wall chair" is where you put your back against the wall and slowly slide down until it looks like you are sitting in a chair.

This exercise is usually used to build strenth in the thighs, but I wanted the wall support to control the pressure on my knee.

At first I couldn't get that far down. I went as far as the pain would allow me, and then I would hold that position for as long as I could. Then I would repeat as many times I could until the pain said no more.

Each day I would try to get down farther and hold the position longer. Within a few weeks I was holding the full "wall chair" position with no pain. I was then able to do squats as if I never had a problem.

There's a question that football coaches ask their players to get them back in the game... "Are you in pain, or are you injured?"

It may sound macho, but it's true. Pain is temporary and can be worked through. An injury has to be rested and healed.

No matter what your pain is you can work through it. You just need to go slowly and only go as far as the pain allows. You're body will let you know when you've gone too far, but your mind can prevent you from even getting started.

If you let it.