When you make exercise a priority, you take control from osteoarthritis.

If you are living an active life and exercising regularly, you have discovered the power that movement gives you in your fight against osteoarthritis (OA). Stay determined! Don't let OA rob you of the benefits and joys of being physically active. You know there will be bad days and uphill battles. To deal with the setbacks, rest, adapt or try something new, but keep moving.

Staying motivated

Feeling strong, being able to do the things you need and want to do, and living with less pain are all major motivators to continue exercising. If bad days or setbacks cause your confidence or motivation to waiver, don't risk losing ground: get the support you need to stay the course. Support might come from friends, family, coworkers, your health care team or other people with OA or the Arthritis Foundation. (Find an Arthritis Foundation office near you.) .

Sometimes, it helps to step back and get perspective. Take a look at how far you've come and what you've accomplished through your commitment to staying strong and fit. What are you most proud of? What were the biggest challenges that you've overcome? To keep your motivation to move high, perhaps it is time to set some new goals to work toward.

Safely upping your activity

If your motivation is strong and you're eager to become even more active, good for you! As long as you take a safe and smart approach to adding or intensifying activities to avoid injury, you will be gaining even more health benefits.

When increasing your level of activity, keep in mind the following goals:

• Vary activities to keep exercise interesting, challenging, and not taxing on any particular joints; also, mix vigorous workouts with less vigorous (moderate-level) activities
   
• Make a gradual move to the next level to avoid injury; don't injury or increased pain by increasing too much or too fast
   
• Pay attention to how you are feeling, particularly as your body adjusts to new or more intense activities

There are endless ways to increase your activity, but the basic approaches are to:

• Increase the duration of your current activities (for example, go from biking 40 minutes 3 times a week to biking for an hour 3 times a week)
   
• Increase the frequency of your current activities (for example, go from walking 3 times a week for 1 hour to walking 4 times a week for 1 hour)
   
• Increase the intensity of your current activities (for example, rather than walk for 45 minutes 3 times a week, run or do a walk/run combo for 30 to 45 minutes)
   
• Add an activity (for example, add an hour-long bike ride on Saturday or Sunday to a schedule of walking for an hour Monday, Wednesday, and Friday)

Next: How To Be Smart and Safe