Running, Hiking & Cycling

Why: Starting to increase the intensity of your cardiovascular exercise is an essential part of this stage. As you work on the strength of your leg muscles, you should find that your functional capacity will also increase. In addition to walking, hiking and cycling which we touched on in the early and intermediate stages section of this series, you can now try running. Not everyone has to run, and not everyone tolerates running, but many people with osteoarthritis cope well and benefit from running. It is likely best to limit running to twice per week with other forms of cardio then topping up to the 75- or 150-minute guideline. 

Time: Aim for 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise (or a combination of different intensities).