FITT Recommendations For Individuals With Arthritis

Frequency:

• Aerobic exercise 3-5 days/week; Resistance exercise 2-3 days/week; Flexibility/Range of Motion (ROM) exercises are essential and are recommended to be performed daily if possible. 

Intensity:

• Light-moderate intensity physical activities are recommended because they are associated with lower risk of injury and/or pain aggravation compared to higher intensity physical activities.    40% - <60% oxtgen consumption reserve (VO2R) or heart rate reserve (HRR) is appropriate
• Very light intensity, aerobic exercise is appropriate for individuals with arthritis who are deconditioned
• Both light and higher intensity, resistance exercise have shown improvements in function, pain, and strength among patients with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis
• Patients with rheumatoid arthritis and considerable damage in weight-bearing joints should perform lower intensity resistance exercise or physical activity 

Time:

• A goal of ≥150 min./week of aerobic exercise is recommended 
• When appropriate have the patient start with short bouts of 10 minutes (or less if needed), according to the individual's pain levels

Type:

• Aerobic exercises with low joint stress such as walking, cycling, or swimming are appropriate
• High-impact activities such as running, stair climbing, and those with stop and go actions are not recommended if limited by lower body arthritis
• Resistance exercises should include all major muscles groups as recommended for healthy adults
• Include flexibility exercise with range of motion exercises of all major muscle groups 

Progression:

• Progression of aerobic, resistance, and flexibility exercises should be gradual and individualized based on an individual's pain and other symptoms

*FITT Recommendations should accommodate the individual's pain levels.