1. Choose low-impact exercises that don’t stress the joints, such as walking, biking, or swimming.
2. Properly condition musclesbefore you challenge yourself in your workouts.
3. Work out for ashorter time and at a lesser intensitywhen you're having a flare-up or are experiencing pain and swelling.
4. Try exercising in  rather several short burststhroughout the dayrather than one long workout session.
5. Create a routine thatcombines aerobic activity and resistance exercises that build muscle to help you avoid an overuse injury.
6. Always warm up properlybefore you exercise.
7. Always cool down afterward.
8. Add flexibility exercises to your routine to help increase range of motion.
9. Wear good athletic shoesthat offer shock absorption and support for your feet.
10. Try other types of water therapy, like walking in a pool, when the disease is very active, if you're having a flare, or if your rheumatoid arthritis is very severe.

Range-of-motion exercises
Range-of-motion exercises (also called stretching or flexibility exercises) help maintain normal joint function by increasing and preserving joint mobility and flexibility. In this group of exercises, affected joints are conditioned by gently straightening and bending the joints in a controlled manner as far as they comfortably will go. During the course of a range-of-motion exercise program, the joints are stretched progressively farther (maintaining comfort levels) until normal or near-normal range is achieved and maintained.

In addition to preserving joint function, range-of-motion exercises are an important form of warm-up and stretching, and should be done prior to performing strengthening or endurance exercises or engaging in any other physical activity.

Strengthening exercises
Strong muscles help keep weak joints stable and more comfortable and protected against further damage. A program of strength-conditioning exercises that target specific muscle groups can be beneficial as part of your arthritis treatment program. There are several types of strengthening exercises that, when performed properly, can maintain or increase supportive muscle tissue without aggravating affected joints.
- isometrics are designed to strengthen targeted muscle groups without bending painful joints. Isometrics involve no joint movement, but rather strengthen muscle groups by using an alternating series of isolated muscle flexes and periods of relaxation.

- isotonics are similar to range-of-motion exercises because they involve joint mobility. However, this group of exercises is more intensive, achieving strength development through increased repetitions or speed of repetitions, or by introducing light-weight resistance with small dumbbells or stretch bands.

Endurance exercise
The foundation of endurance training is aerobic exercise, which includes any activity that uses large muscle groups, can be maintained continuously for a long period of time and is rhythmic in nature. Aerobic activity conditions the heart, lungs and cardiovascular system to:
Use oxygen more efficiently
Supply the entire body with larger amounts of oxygen-rich blood
Build stronger muscle tissue

Exercises for Arthritis Management*
Exercise is one of the most powerful ways to challenge arthritis pain — and one of the most invigorating. That’s why sports doctors and the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine developed the workout shown here.
Remember, a proper warm-up is key to avoiding injury. To increase your heart rate, always walk or march in place for at least five minutes before beginning these exercises.

Elongation Stretch: Lay with your back flat against mat, extending both arms and legs. Reach as far as is comfortable; point toes and extend fingers.

Elongation Diagonal: Turn on left side. Point toes of left foot and extend right arm. Stretching lengthwise as far as is comfortable.

Arm Stretch: Gently pull right elbow across the chest towards the opposite shoulder.

Shoulder Stretch: Interlace fingers so palms face outward. Slowly lift arms above head, pushing upward (stretch will be felt in arms, shoulders, and upper back).

Knee Chest Stretch: Lay with back flat against mat, pull right knee towards chest, keeping back of head on the floor.

Calf/Achilles Stretch: Hold chair with both hands, place right leg in front of left, bending the right knee while keeping left leg straight. Lower hips downward while continuing to slightly bend right knee.
Keep back straight and back foot toe facing straight-ahead, keeping heel down.

Quad Stretch: Hold chair with right hand while standing with weight on left foot. Hold top of right foot with left hand. Gently pull right heel toward buttocks.

Hamstring Stretch: Sit on mat and stretch both legs out in front of you. Grab towel at each end, placing it around the arches of your feet. Using straight arms, pull upper body down gently to stretch behind the legs.

Squat and Side Lift: With chair on right side for balance, stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Bend slowly at the knees and hips, and squat back as though sitting in a chair; stop when thighs are parallel to floor. Keep back flat, not allowing knees to extend past toes. Pause, then push up, lifting left leg off floor and to the side while beginning to stand. Pause and then return to starting position.

Knee Flexion: Stand up straight with head in line with spine, legs hip-width apart, and knees slightly bent while placing hands on back of chair for balance. Maintaining good posture, raise left heel toward buttocks until your calf is parallel to the floor. Make sure to keep thighs parallel to each other. Pause for 1 second. Lower left leg to the ground.

Calf Raises: Stand about one foot behind the back of the chair with feet hip-width apart and knees slightly bent. Keep back straight, head in line with spine, and shoulders back. Using chair for balance, raise heels off floor, pushing straight up onto balls of feet. Pause 1 second, then slowly lower heels to starting position.

Knee Extension: Sit in chair with back and hips against the chair back. Extend left leg out as straight as possible, pausing for 1 second when leg is parallel to the floor. Lower left leg back to starting position.

Chair stand
Sitting in a normal-height chair, stand up, and sit down, but don’t just plop down. Focus on controlling the motion, using your arms to assist you if needed. Try doing 10 to 15 reps. If that’s too easy, try a lower-height chair. Too difficult? Find a higher-height chair.

Yoga
Yoga packs two great benefits for people with RA. Using deep relaxation techniques, like yoga Nidra, promotes a healthy immune system and helps reduce joint inflammation. Plus, gentle stretching is great for maintaining mobility and movement. Avoid power yoga, hot yoga and flow (also known as Vinyasa yoga), which can increase internal heat and put excessive pressure on the joints.

Walking
Walking is a great bone-strengthening and aerobic activity. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends going at a moderate-to-hard intensity level—60% to 85% of your maximum heart rate—three to five days a week and working up to a 30-minute session.

Pilates
Pilates is good for stabilizing your joints and strengthening the muscles that support your joints. Try the “shoulder bridge.” Lay on your back, bend your knees and place your arms along each side of your body. Exhale through pursed lips as you contract the abdominals and lift your pelvis. (Don’t arch your back or overflex your knees.) Inhale through the nose and hold the position. Exhale to lower your pelvis back to the ground and repeat the exercise.

Water workout
In a lap pool (usually 4-feet deep), walk from one side of the pool to the other at a brisk pace. If you work out in a health center with an underwater treadmill, your trainer can adjust the speed of the exercise. The buoyancy of the water relieves pressure on your joints.

Tai Chi
“Sun-style" (pronounced SOON-style)” Tai Chi involves slow, smooth movements that strengthen the body, reduce pain and improve mobility. In general, don’t practice Tai Chi longer than the amount of time you can walk comfortably. Twenty to 40 minutes per day is a good average for most people with RA.

Weight lifting
Start by doing bicep curls with light hand weights, no more than 2 to 5 lbs., and build your endurance over time by adding weight and sets. Stronger muscles help you perform daily activities. You can do this in the water—hold foam dumbbells in each hand, pull down, and let the weights slowly float up to work your arms, shoulders, chest, and back.

Hand stretch
Spread your fingers as wide as they can go, then make a fist, and repeat that stretching and squeezing motion. If you’re in the water, open and close your hands underwater, or try squeezing a foam ball. Let it absorb the water before squeezing it out again.

Zumba
Zumba helps to burn calories without jarring your joints. If you’re just starting out, ease into it because you’ll be using all the muscles in your body and you don’t want to overdo it. Taking twice-weekly classes will help you learn the choreography.

Qi Gong
Close your eyes and take deep, relaxed breaths in through your nose and out from your mouth. Place your hands on your stomach and focus on moving your diaphragm in and out with each breath. Concentrate on strengthening the core muscles of your abdomen to maintain your balance and posture.

Suspension training
With suspension training, you leverage your own body weight from straps hanging from an anchor point. Place your feet in the stirrups and hold your body up with your hands or resting flat on your forearms. Holding a plank position works muscles in the abdomen, back and shoulders. Work up to a 30-second hold with a 20-second rest between reps.

Three way hip exercise
Tips: 1. Face the bar and hold on. Alternate bringing each knee up like you’re marching in place. This will work muscles in the front of your hips.

2. Keep your toes facing forward. Raise a leg out to the side and back to work the outer thighs and glutes. Alternate legs.

3. Face forward; extend a leg out behind you until it’s a few inches off the ground. Hold and lower slowly, then switch legs. This works your butt and lower back.

The right kind of exercise will not make your arthritis any worse. In fact, exercising helps you lose weight, which means less strain on your joints. It is important not to overstrain yourself while you are exercising, and to gently stretch before and after exercise. You can still exercise during a flare up although your workouts should be gentle.
            Your doctor or a physiotherapist can help you to pick an exercise programme to suit you. A physiotherapist will advise you on the best exercises after assessing your joints and muscles.
            It is usual to feel some pain as your muscles get used to being exercised. Seek advice from your doctor if you feel pain in the joint itself or if the pain continues for more than two hours after finishing exercising as this might be a sign you have overdone it. Here are some general benefits of exercise:
The physiological benefits of exercise are well documented and include reduced risks of many diseases such as coronary artery disease, serum lipid abnormalities, hypertension, diabetes, osteoporosis, obesity and colon cancer.
Physical activity is essential to optimizing both physical and mental health and can play a vital role in the management of arthritis. Regular physical activity can keep the muscles around affected joints strong, decrease bone loss and may help control joint swelling and pain. Regular activity replenishes lubrication to the cartilage of the joint and reduces stiffness and pain. Exercise also helps to enhance energy and stamina by decreasing fatigue and improving sleep. Exercise can enhance weight loss and promote long-term weight management in those with arthritis who are overweight.

The psychological benefits of exercise are equally compelling. In the short-term (i.e., immediately after exercising) exercise:
decreases anxiety
improves mood and well being
promotes a state of relaxation
A growing body of empirical research also suggests that exercise has long-term effects on well being as well. Improvements in mood and well being have been reported by regular exercisers in both clinical and non-clinical populations and with most types of exercise. Baseline levels of anxiety are lower in individuals who exercise regularly as compared with sedentary adults. Thus, exercise appears to be a potent stress reducer as well. In at least one major clinical trial sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, exercise and group counseling is being tested by clinicians (who are qualified to assess and monitor the disorder) as a primary treatment for mild depression. Because depression is a concern for individuals with arthritis, physical activity is an important psychological adjunct to treatment. Though more research is warranted to confirm these findings, preliminary studies suggest that moderate-intensity lifestyle exercise, such as walking, is as effective as traditional vigorous aerobic exercise in improving mood.