Tips for enjoying your weekend with arthritis

Sadly, arthritis doesn't take the weekend off. But that doesn't mean you have stop enjoying your favourite leisure activities. Here are some tips for keeping arthritis in it's place while you have fun.

• Just because it's fitness equipment, doesn't mean you can't have fun with an exercise ball.
• Example: Making a lunge to bounce a ball against a wall with your hands provides a workout for wrist, hands, shoulders, chest, back, hips and knees.

• Finish off your water workout by using a fitness trick to get out of the pool. Go to the shallow end and stand with your back against the side of the pool.
• Reach back to place your palms on the edge of the pool and jump up so that you sit on the edge.
• Assisted by the buoyancy of your body in the water, this movement works your arms, shoulders, chest and back.

• When shopping at the mall, park where workers are told to put their cars — away from entrances.
• Better yet, park at the end of the mall farthest from the store to which you're heading and walk to your destination. (Bonus: You'll have no trouble finding a spot.)

• Most people try to find the shortest route to where they're going. But if you're hoofing it, short is good but long is better.
• Think of other ways to decide which way to go. Examples: Which way has more beautiful scenery, less traffic, a coffee shop, attractive stores or friendly people?

• Walking on a soft sandy beach not only calms your mind, it provides a gentle workout that's easy on knees while calling on muscles in the hips and lower back for balance on the uneven surface.
• For a bigger challenge, wade in ankle-deep surf, lifting your feet out of the water as you walk.
• This provides a good workout for the entire lower body, including hips, thighs, knees, calves, ankles and feet — right down to your toes as they curl into the sand.
• Walk through calf-deep water to exercise the quadriceps muscles of the thigh.

When strolling, get off the paved path and walk along the grass or dirt fitness trail: The softer surface is easier on joints and also provides a better workout for muscles because the uneven surface makes your lower body work slightly harder.

• That's right — get out of the multitasking mindset. Instead of combining chores so you only go up and down stairs once, break them up.
• If you normally fold all the laundry, fold just the towels, take them up, then go back down to the laundry room for another batch.