Enjoying gentle exercise can be highly beneficial for people suffering with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), experts have advised.
A study carried out by the Mayo Clinic in the US, published earlier this week, found that the number of women being diagnosed with RA increased by 2.5 per cent between 1995 and 2007, though the period saw a slight drop in male sufferers.
Following on from this, the Arthritic Association has advised those people newly-diagnosed with the condition to watch their diet, with red meat, oily fish and uncooked tomatoes all singled out as potential problem foods.
In addition, Lynda Scott-Williams, chief executive of the charity stated:
"We do recommend walking and swimming and, for those that feel that they can do it, dancing.
"Tai chi is also particularly good," she added, though warned against "overdoing it" as fatigue remains one of the greatest problems associated with RA.
Arthritis Care recently reported that many sufferers feel pain or discomfort when carrying out even the simplest of tasks, such as making a cup of tea.
