The 5 Best Exercise Equipment Options for People With Arthritis

If you have symptoms of arthritis, it might feel daunting to start or maintain an exercise program. But with the right knowledge and equipment, regular exercise can reduce pain, improve joint function, and boost your quality of life, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to Mayo Clinic, even moderate workouts can help ease joint pain — no need for any hardcore activity. Plus, exercise can strengthen your bones and the muscles around your joint, which may make arthritis pain more manageable.

“The way to get nutrition to the joints is through the joint lining, and the way that happens is through joint movement,” says Kim Huffman, MD, PhD, professor of medicine at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina. “The joint also includes the muscles around it, so it's important to maintain the strength of the muscle that moves the joint.”

Here, we discuss a list of weights that are safe and appropriate for people with arthritis — plus, the benefits of using them.

Chris Latchford, a certified occupational hand therapist for St. Luke's University Health Network, and Brian Andonian, MD, assistant professor of medicine at the Duke University School of Medicine, also chime in to share some of their top picks for weights and resistance bands for people with arthritis in their hands. Here’s what you need to know.

1. Dumbbells

According to the Arthritis Foundation, free weights like dumbbells are good workout equipment options for people with arthritis. The group recommends looking for dumbbells that are rubberized, as this material makes the grip more comfortable and less likely to slip from your hands. When choosing which dumbbells to purchase, try using a few different ones and go with the option that feels good for your fingers, hands, and wrists.

However, in an ideal world, people with arthritis in their hands should also work with an occupational therapist to make custom wide-grip, soft handles for exercise equipment, Dr. Andonian says.

2. Resistance Bands

Resistance bands are a preferred piece of exercise equipment among experts who work with people with arthritis in their hands. That's because holding a handle on a resistance band is more forgiving on hands with arthritis, and you have the option to wrap a band around the wrist to let your hand rest, Dr. Huffman says.

“Resistance bands may put less stress through the small joints of fingers compared to dumbbells, kettlebells, or barbells, because they limit the extra forces from gravity,” Dr. Andonian says. “That can benefit people with hand arthritis.”

3. Ankle or Wrist Weights

Choosing weights that don't require you to grip your hands will lessen fatigue, Latchford explains. Cuff weights that go around the ankle or wrist are good options for strength training. Plus, they don’t require you to use your fingers and hands.

Ankle and wrist weights also come in varying weights, and as you get stronger, you can move up, just like you would with a dumbbell.

“If you have arthritis in your hands, I suggest using gadgets [for exercise] that take away the stress in your hands,” Latchford says. “If we can take out grasping for even part of the workout, you can reduce fatigue in the hands.”

4. Resistance Loops

Resistance loops (also sometimes known as mini bands) are good for wrist flexion (bending) and extension exercises, Andonian says. Like traditional bands, the mini versions come in varying resistances.

Use these mini bands to do lower-body exercises, such as glute bridges, squats, and lateral crab walks, as well as upper-body moves, such as triceps push-downs, overhead presses, and band pull-aparts.

5. Hand Putty

While not a weight or resistance band, hand putty is a type of fitness equipment that can help people with arthritis strengthen the muscles and ligaments around their hands, Andonian says.

“Hand exercise putty is good for hand grip, finger pinching, and finger-adduction exercises (bringing the fingers back together when they're apart),” he says. “Hand-specific exercises are very arthritis-friendly, because they help strengthen surrounding muscles to decrease stress on the joints.”

Things to Consider Before Purchasing Workout Equipment

There are two main things you should keep in mind when shopping for weights or resistance bands, according to experts: size and material.

1. Size

You don't need super heavy weights or extremely tough resistance bands for an effective workout, Huffman says.

“Unless you're bodybuilding or significantly trying to bulk up, you don't need to do a lot of high-weight, low-rep exercises,” she says. “There are benefits to a little aerobic activity and low-weight, high-repetition workouts.”

Look for weights ranging from 2 to 5 pounds when starting out. Once you can comfortably perform 20 repetitions, increase the weight, Dr. Huffman notes. And remember not to do overdo it, either.

2. Material

Weights covered in neoprene (a type of rubber that is durable and flexible) can make the grip a little more comfortable and a little less slick. When it comes to resistance bands, equipment that comes with an inner cord or cloth covering can help prevent injury if the band snaps or breaks, Andonian says.

“Buying a band with higher-quality rubber can help prevent injury and provide more consistent resistance over the full range of motion of an exercise,” he adds. It’s also a good idea to choose bands that have thick, rubber grips as opposed to plastic or metal handle casing.

Resistance bands made with poor-quality rubber will vary with regard to resistance over the full range of motion, Andonian says. In other words, you might stop short unexpectedly during the exercise. These products tend to be cheaper, though Andonian points out that more expensive ones aren't always better, either. In these situations, he says reading product reviews can be helpful.