by Liz Bonis, WKRC

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CINCINNATI (WKRC) – Local doctors say the Flying Pig Marathon is a good reminder that all of us can benefit from exercise. This may be especially true for those living with arthritis.

There’s an event for just about anyone at the Flying Pig Marathon over the weekend, and during this Arthritis Awareness Month, experts want you to know that activities like it can make all the difference for those who living with this illness or chronic joint pain.

Dr. Angel Velazquez-Santiago, a sports medicine primary care physician at OrthoCincy, says, for those living with any chronic illness, it’s important to train properly and build up to that physical activity.

“You know, if you are going to run a marathon, you don’t go and run a marathon in one day,” he said.

Dr. Velazquez-Santiago says building up the muscles around joints is critical for people with arthritis.

“Arthritis is when a joint starts losing cartilage, losing space, and they can develop new bone spurs or bone formation that is not healthy for you,” said Dr. Velazquez-Santiago.

Physical therapy and other treatments, such as injections, may help ease some of the pain and inflammation to help people be more active.

Even if a marathon is not in the patient’s future, Dr. Velazquez-Santiago says any exercise is recommended for arthritis and bone health overall.

“If you don’t use it, you lose it. It’s as simple as that. Healthy bones has a correlation with activity. I believe that exercise is medicine,” he said.