For Release at 8:30 a.m., Monday, Nov. 10
For More Information, Contact:
Jim Moody
(404) 633-3777 until Nov. 6
(202) 371-4510 Nov. 7-12
Group Exercise Important to Achieve Fitness in Rheumatic Disease Patients
A group program of moderate conditioning exercise for people with rheumatic diseases can have significant therapeutic long-term effects, according to research presented at the Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals National Scientific Meeting Nov. 9-12 in Washington, D.C.
Nearly 200 adults with diagnoses of rheumatoid arthritis, other systemic inflammatory diseases such as lupus and scleroderma, and spinal arthropathy were enrolled in the University of Missouri study. Some were directed to an exercise group, while others served as the control group.
At the beginning of the study, two-thirds reported no regular physical activity. Only 12 percent said they exercised enough to meet the minimum levels recommended in the U.S. Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity.
During the study, fitness levels of those enrolled in the exercise group improved significantly. At the end of one year and two years, the exercisers scored higher than the control group on fitness measures. At the end of two years, those in the exercise group reported an average of 78 minutes of exercise per week, with 36 percent meeting or exceeding the Surgeon General's recommendation. Those in the control group exercised an average of 53 minutes per week with 13 percent meeting or exceeding the Surgeon General's recommendation.
"This study confirms that a formal program of group exercise can help people with rheumatic diseases achieve their fitness goals," said Marian Minor, PT, PhD, of the University of Missouri and lead author on the study. "When we simply tell people that exercise is good, and then leave them to go at it alone, we are not providing the best help available."
The study was sponsored by the Missouri Arthritis Rehabilitation Research and Training Center plus the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine.
The paper will be presented on Monday, Nov. 10, at a news conference co-sponsored by the American College of Rheumatology and the University of Missouri-Columbia Arthritis Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (MARRTC). MARRTC is funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research within the U.S. Department of Education.
The Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals is a division of the American College of Rheumatology. Members include nurses, occupational and physical therapists, social workers and psychologists who share a commitment to rheumatology-related practice, education and research.
# # #
RSS