Apples for Health- Exercise no danger for healthy joints

Exercise no danger for healthy joints

BOSTON, Jan. 29 (UPI) -- In the absence of existing joint injury there is no increased risk of osteoarthritis from exercise, U.S. and German researchers said.

Although exercise is widely promoted as being beneficial for weight control, disease management in cardiovascular disease and diabetes, as well as psychological well-being, there is a perception that exercise is potentially deleterious to one's joints, lead researcher Dr. David Hunter of New England Baptist Hospital said.

Researchers from Boston and Ainring, Germany, reviewed existing studies on the relationship between regular exercise and osteoarthritis.

"We found that in elite athletes where there was more likelihood of obtaining sports injuries, there was an increased risk of osteoarthritis in the damaged joints, but in most people vigorous, low-impact exercise is beneficial for both its physical and mental benefits," Hunter said in a statement.

"The largest modifiable risk factor for knee osteoarthritis is body weight, such that each additional kilogram -- 2.2 pounds -- of body mass increases the compressive load over the knee by roughly 4kg -- 8.8 pounds."

The findings are published in the Journal of Anatomy.