Monday 3 April 2017

Rapid-Fire Tip 2 - Do you have Arthritis and struggle with your weight?

Have you been diagnosed with advanced Arthritis in your body and are overweight?

As a volunteer, I have been trained to speak for and in behalf of the Arthritis Society to help with the Arthritis Self-Help Program (ASMP). This program is conducted regularly across Canada and run by volunteers. The program teaches people who are suffering with Arthritis how to manage their symptoms and overcome their dis-ease.

By the way, in order to be a volunteer and facilitate these programs, the facilitators were also arthritic. If the facilitator also has Arthritis, they can relate with their groups more effectively. They are all on the same page, so to speak.

One of the common things I noticed when I have been facilitating one of these programs is that most of the people in the classes were extremely overweight. Very few of the attendees were considered to be slim or average.

I also noticed, as a personal observation, that the more obese these people were, the more discomfort and disfigurement they seemed to have.

The program helped me in many ways to manage my own Osteo Arthritis. One of the things I came to understand from the ASMP was the affect of carrying extra weight on the body had on the knees.

Did you know that for every pound you carry on your body, you are creating 10 pounds of pressure on your knees?

For example, if a person is 30 pounds overweight, they are dealing with 300 pounds of extra pressure on their knees!

Personally, I have noticed on my own knees that as I have released weight from my body, my knees have been feeling better.

I have now released just over 16 pounds of body weight, and thus have relieved my knees to the tune of 160 extra pounds of pressure!

It adds up fast doesn't it.

Sure feels great not having to take Advil, Aleve or Tylenol all the time.

Walking is much easier now, and I can walk for longer periods of time.

If you have questions about how you or someone you know can help themselves reduce the pressure on their knees, write me.

It is not all about me. It is about how many people I can help.

Christine Till
Rapid-Fire to Retire
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2 comments:

  1. my physiotherapist said politely, you need to lose 5 lbs off your knees. So is walking the best medicine?

    Joanne

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  2. Hi Henry and Joanne,
    Thanks for your response!
    I walk pretty much 5 days a week. I am noticing that since I have released 160# off my knees, I am feeling much better and walking is much easier. I just have 100# more to release from my knees, and I will feel like I am flying!

    Keep me posted on your progress.

    If you need some tips and tricks or ideas on how I am doing it, I would love to share.

    Cheers,
    Christine

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