India, Oct. 16 -- For people living with arthritis, exercise can seem counterintuitive. When every step causes knee pain, fingers feel stiff in the morning, or hips ache after a short walk, resting may appear to be the safest option.

However, that does not make exercise bad for arthritis patients, shared joint and knee replacement surgeon Dr Sushil Sharma told HT Lifestyle. He cautioned that prolonged inactivity can weaken the muscles supporting the joints, reduce mobility and make everyday movements increasingly difficult.

"The key is not to avoid exercise, but to understand which activities are appropriate and how they should be performed," highlighted the doctor.

To understand the effect of exercise on arthritis patients, it is impo...