Conclusion Exercises and PA promotion according to public health recommendations  for PA improved cardiovascular fitness , muscle strength and PA behaviour , with moderate effect sizes in people with SpA , RA and HOA/KOA .
Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of exercise and physical activity ( PA ) promotion on cardiovascular fitness , muscle strength , flexibility , neuromotor performance ( eg , balance ) and daily PA in people with rheumatoid arthritis ( RA ) , spondyloarthritis ( SpA ) and hip/knee osteoarthritis ( HOA/KOA ) .
Assessment of a Sixteen-Week Training Program on Strength, Pain, and Function in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients
Objective : To assess the effects of a 16-week progressive , individualized , high-intensity strength training program on muscle strength , pain , and function in patients with rheumatoid arthritis ( RA ) . Methods : Twenty-four RA patients ( men , n = 5 ; women , n = 19 ) receiving infliximab participated in a r and omized controlled trial . The strength training ( ST ) group ( n = 16 ) participated in a supervised program 3 times per week , and the control ( C ) group ( n = 8) continued with st and ard of care as overseen by their rheumatologist . Assessment s were completed at baseline and at weeks 8 and 16 . Strength was measured by 3 repetition maximum ( 3RM ) , isometric h and dynamometer , and isokinetic dynamometer . A 100-mm visual analogue scale was used to assess pain . Functional performance was derived from a timed 50-foot walk and the Health Assessment Question naire Disability Index . Results : The mean percent increase in strength ( 3RM ) for the ST group from baseline to week 16 was 46.1 % ± 31.6 % ( P < 0.01 ) ( mean of all three 3RM exercises : hammer curl , leg press , and incline dumbbell press ) , with mean gains in strength up to 4 times that of baseline values reported in all strength training exercises ( upper and lower body ) performed during exercise sessions . On average , right-h and grip strength increased by 2.9 ± 4.0 kg in the ST group , in comparison with a loss of 1.2 ± 3.0 kg in the C group over 16 weeks . The ST group had a 53 % reduction in pain , in comparison with almost no change in the C group . The ST group had a significant improvement in 50-foot walk time , with a mean reduction of −1.2 ± 1.6 seconds , in comparison with the C group ( mean increase of 0.8 ± 1.0 seconds ; P = 0.01 ) over the 16 weeks . There was a clinical ly important difference ( predefined as mean change ±0.25 ) in the Health Assessment Question naire Disability Index in the ST group ( −0.4 ± 0.4 ) but not in the C group ( −0.1 ± 0.4 ) . Conclusion : High-intensity strength training in RA patients with varying levels of disease activity and joint damage had a large , significant effect on strength , and led to improvements in pain and function , with additive patient benefits beyond the effect of their infliximab use
Conclusion Exercises and PA promotion according to public health recommendations  for PA improved cardiovascular fitness , muscle strength and PA behaviour , with moderate effect sizes in people with SpA , RA and HOA/KOA .
Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of exercise and physical activity ( PA ) promotion on cardiovascular fitness , muscle strength , flexibility , neuromotor performance ( eg , balance ) and daily PA in people with rheumatoid arthritis ( RA ) , spondyloarthritis ( SpA ) and hip/knee osteoarthritis ( HOA/KOA ) .