Welcome once again to the FreeTrainers.com Tip of the Week! This week we will take a closer look at how you can strengthen your joints with specific exercises. Typically, those whom tend to have weaker joints are the older community - as we age so does our body. However, it applies to all people of all ages as well. So let's get started!  Arthritis affects millions of people each and every year. The term arthritis means "inflammation of a joint," and it actually refers to many conditions that can cause pain in your body's joints. The most common form of arthritis that occurs in older adults is osteoarthritis, which is also known as the "degenerative joint disease."  As a person gets older this type of arthritis may develop simply due to the normal wear and tear of the joints over the years as the body ages. Other factors that may hasten the development of osteoarthritis include being overweight, having a poor posture, or even a previous injury. A wearing out of the cartilage that covers the ends of the bones results in chronic irratation. The cartilage becomes soft and wears unevenly. In some circumstances it may wear away completely, exposing the underlying bone. Thickening of the ends of the bone may occur.  Usually a person who is suffering from osteoarthritis only has problems in the joints of their hip, knee and spine. Sometimes the pain associated with it can be relieved with rest, while other times, especially in the case of more serious symptoms, drugs may be used to reduce the swelling. In addition, exercises can be taught to help strengthen the muscles around the joint to reduce the stress upon it. Only in very severe osteoarthritis cases is surgery necessary to replace or repair the damaged joints.  Exercise is very important for everyone, but it is especially important for people who are suffering from arthritis. However, if you are afflicted with any form of that disease, running, aerobic dance and most team sports are probably out of your league. But it doesn't mean that you can't be physically active. Here are some exercise that will aid in strengthening your joints  Ride a Bicycle - may be stationary as well  Stretch - daily stretching as well during exercise  Climb Stairs - may be stationary as well  Swimming