Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis (rheumatoid arthritis *add link to another blog once done*). OA is characterised by the wear and degeneration of cartilage at a joint, which may cause pain, stiffness and poor mobility. This can cause difficulty with day-to-day tasks at home, work or in the community. How can we prevent OA? While it might seem counterproductive, tailored exercise is one of the best methods to improve or prevent symptoms of OA and improve quality of life.

When your joints are aching, exercise may be the last thing you want to do, but it has many benefits for improving the quality of life and improving symptoms of OA. Tailored exercise can help reduce joint pain, it can lead to weight loss which will also help reduce symptoms of OA, improved muscular strength, improved balance and coordination. It can also lead to improvements in mental health, as discussed in *link to mental health blog*.

Exercise that is beneficial for OA includes resistance training, aerobic training and mobility exercises. Each of these modalities of exercise may be different for each person; that’s where we come in. If you are unsure of where to start, speaking to an Exercise Physiologist may be the first step to reducing your pain!