Get moving: Making physical activity the easy choice for adults with arthritis

Arthritis is a serious and often disabling disease. Among the 50 million adults with arthritis, 21 million of them have difficulty with daily activities. Even though physical activity is a safe and effective way to manage arthritis, most adults with arthritis do not engage in recommended levels of physical activity. To address the growing need to increase physical activity in adults with arthritis, the Arthritis Foundation (AF), with support from the Centers for Disease Control Arthritis Program, began an initiative to identify environmental and policy strategies that would make physical activity more accessible and convenient for adults with arthritis. While there were existing strategies for increasing physical activity among the general population, an approach specific to the unique needs of the arthritis community was needed. Because there were no written environmental policy reports specific to increasing physical activity among adults with arthritis, a literature review identified strategies for persons with disabilities, mobility limitations, and older adults. The AF worked with a variety of experts from government, physical activity, arthritis, public health, and healthcare to propose priority strategies specific to adults with arthritis. The deliberations resulted in arthritis-specific strategies presented in the Environmental and Policy Strategies to Increase Physical Activity Among Adults With Arthritis report. The AF created a disease specific approach to making physical activity an easy choice for people with arthritis and is implementing the recommendations in local communities. Implementation strategies and successes will be discussed.