I hate the word exercise

Last reviewed: September 29, 2026

When doctors say exercise, they mean movement done on purpose, often enough that your body notices. Not a gym. Not sweating or straining or a plan you dread. Walking, standing up from a chair without using your arms, going up stairs.

There is a difference between activity and exercise. Walking around the house is activity. Walking a route that gets a little longer over time is exercise. That difference is most of what doctors mean by the word.

For a stiff hip or knee the point is to keep the muscles around the joint strong and the joint moving. Movement does about as much for the pain as the usual pills do. Low-impact movement does not appear to wear the joint out faster. There is no single best kind. The best kind is the one you will keep doing.

Hurting during movement is common with arthritis and does not automatically mean you should stop.

Things that count, none of which require a gym:

• Get up and move a little every hour rather than sitting through the day.
• Park at the far end of the lot and walk the extra distance.
• Stand up from a chair a few times without using your arms.
• Walk the length of the house or the driveway when you think of it.
• Move in a pool if being on your feet hurts.

Drafted with AI assistance from published sources, reviewed and edited by Babak Sheikh, MD.

Sources:

• Fransen M, et al. Exercise for Osteoarthritis of the Knee. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD004376.pub3
• Fransen M, et al. Exercise for Osteoarthritis of the Hip. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD007912.pub2
• Bricca A, et al. Impact of Exercise on Articular Cartilage in People at Risk of, or With Established, Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review of Randomised Controlled Trials. Br J Sports Med. 2019. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2017-098661
• Bartels EM, et al. Aquatic Exercise for the Treatment of Knee and Hip Osteoarthritis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD005523.pub3
• Smith BE, et al. Should Exercises Be Painful in the Management of Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Br J Sports Med. 2017. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2016-097383
• Kolasinski SL, et al. 2019 American College of Rheumatology/Arthritis Foundation Guideline for the Management of Osteoarthritis of the Hand, Hip, and Knee. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2020. https://doi.org/10.1002/art.41142

This is general information about what published research shows. It is not medical advice and it is not about your situation. Reading it does not create a doctor-patient relationship with me. I am a retired orthopedic surgeon and I do not see patients. Talk with your own doctor before changing anything about your care. If something feels suddenly or seriously wrong, get medical care promptly rather than waiting.

This page is provided as is. I make no guarantee that it is accurate, complete or current, and medical evidence changes. Use of it is at your own risk.

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