Best Weight Loss Option for People with Joint Pains

One of the main causes of joint pains, is excessive weight (Own knowledge). The people
who understand this try their best to lose the unwanted weight. However with the process is very
difficult due to amount of pain the person suffers. The question most people with joint pains ask
themselves is, What is the best method to lose all this weight with the amount of joint pain I go
through? This topic is personal to me because my mother, at the age of 43 and not in the best
shape, suffers from quite a bit of joint pain, which makes losing weight much more difficult.
The most effective ways that I have found are; Tai Chi, Swimming and walking. Knowing that
all of these are great methods for weight loss, I believe that swimming is the greater methods of
the three.
Tai chi is a Chinese form of Martial Arts that is good for the body and mind, it is meant
for relaxation and movement.
(http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/Harvard_Womens_Health_Watch/2009/May/The-
health-benefits-of-tai-chi). Tai chi is consisted of slow movements and although it doesnt take a
lot of effort, it builds up muscle strength, flexibility, balance, and, to an extent, aerobic
conditioning.
(http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/Harvard_Womens_Health_Watch/2009/May/The-
health-benefits-of-tai-chi). Research in 2006 shows, after taking 36 classes a man and woman,
both the age of 39, had improved their lower and upper body strength by the end of all 36
classes.
(http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/Harvard_Womens_Health_Watch/2009/May/The-
health-benefits-of-tai-chi). To determine the change in upper body strength the man and woman
were asked to do arm curls before the 36 classes and after, the end result was that the number of


arm curls was greater after all 36 classes than it was before the classes.
(http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/Harvard_Womens_Health_Watch/2009/May/The-
health-benefits-of-tai-chi). The change in lower body was determined on how many times they
could stand up from a chair in thirty seconds and once again the end result was greater than
before all 36 classes. This research was done by researchers of Stanford University and was
published in Alternate Therapies in Health and Medicine. Although this method clearly
improves muscle strength, there is not much evidence in results of weight loss. With that said,
there is still some weight loss but not significantly. Therefore, in my opinion Tai chi is not the
best method for weight loss.
Swimming on the other hand is an activity everybody does, so it doesnt really need an
explanation. Swimming is something I love to do and when Im done I feel great. So I know
from my own perspective that it is a great method for weight loss, however lets look at the facts.
Due to the pressure of the water, weight is lifted away and takes the pain away making it easier
to move around. Dr. I-Min Lee. (http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/5-of-the-best-
exercises-you-can-ever-do), a professor of medicine at Harvard University, explains how
swimming is good for individuals with arthritis because it is less weight bearing. For
swimming to reduce weight, one must swim quickly and vigorously, not slow and gracefully.
(http://goaskalice.columbia.edu/swimming-good-weight-loss). Also the amount of time one
spends swimming must be quite length. (http://goaskalice.columbia.edu/swimming-good-weight-
loss). So out of these two, tai chi and swimming, swimming seems to be the better method.
Walking, this is something everyone does every day. Walking is simple but
effective. It improves cholesterol, balances your blood pressure and prevents diseases like
diabetes and heart disease. (http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/5-of-the-best-exercises-


you-can-ever-do). It also prevents memory loss, to an extent.
(http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/5-of-the-best-exercises-you-can-ever-do.Walking is a
great way to lose unwanted weight while maintaining it. Its a great method for burning quite a
few calories. Although walking helps with a lot of health issues, it also can be a pain for your
wallet. Walking requires certain attire. Shoes need to be comfortable and supportive, and
clothing needs to be thin and light. If your attire isnt like this, then walking becomes irritable
and people want to stop the activity. So buying the proper attire is expensive and difficult to find.
There is also the way that one walks that determines the benefits one receives. For instance, if
one over-strides, they cause pain in the shins which slows them down and the amount of
calorie loss decreases.
(https://dst.sp.maricopa.edu/DWG/wellness/Shared%20Documents/10%20walking%20mistakes.
pdf). Another issue would be the shoes; they need to be flexible, new, and the right size. If your
shoes arent flexible then when walking you are fighting with the shoes and you are more likely
to roll your ankle. If your shoes are more than one year old then it is an issue because the support
in the shoe is not effective enough.
(https://dst.sp.maricopa.edu/DWG/wellness/Shared%20Documents/10%20walking%20mistakes.
pdf). It is recommended that every 500 miles the shoe should be replaced.
(https://dst.sp.maricopa.edu/DWG/wellness/Shared%20Documents/10%20walking%20mistakes.
pdf). Lastly if your shoes are too small, then your feet swell making it difficult and
uncomfortable to walk.
(https://dst.sp.maricopa.edu/DWG/wellness/Shared%20Documents/10%20walking%20mistakes.
pdf), which leads to the quitting of this activity. It is recommended that your running shoe size
should be larger than your dress shoe size.


(https://dst.sp.maricopa.edu/DWG/wellness/Shared%20Documents/10%20walking%20mistakes.
pdf). There are many other things that factor into walking right such as posture, wrong clothing,
not staying hydrated, over training, arm motion, keeping your arms too far apart also known as
chicken winging.
(https://dst.sp.maricopa.edu/DWG/wellness/Shared%20Documents/10%20walking%20mistakes.
pdf). The list goes on and on, if something is done wrong it leads to more joint pains, which isnt
great because that is what we were trying to avoid in the first place. More information is found at
https://dst.sp.maricopa.edu/DWG/wellness/Shared%20Documents/10%20walking%20mistakes.p
df. Walking has its benefits, but only if everything is done right.
I believe that swimming is the best method for weight loss for people with joint pains
because it doesnt have many requirements. Walking has so many requirements as stated before
and the cost of shoes is ranges from $60-$70 and they have to be replaced often (own
knowledge). With swimming, you need one swim suit that doesnt need to be replaced. So even
if the swim suit is worth $100, it is only a one time purchase so in the long run it is still cheaper
than walking. Also swimming relieves the pain and walking makes the pain greater. Tai chi is
can also be very costly, $90 for only four weeks (google.com). Thats almost the same amount as
the swim suits in only a month. Tai chi is very slow and slowly burns off the unwanted weight.
Swimming is quick and the most effective of the three. It is also the cheapest, you only have one
major cost and you dont have to pay for anything else, you can go swim in a lake if you wanted
to. No need to pay for public pools or build one in your backyard.
In my opinion there arent many negative perspectives to swimming. However there are a
few in the eyes of others. The main thing that people focus on is drowning. This is always a
concern in my family, due to the fact that we lost a son and brother by this. From 1999-2010


there have been nearly 49,762 recorded deaths by drowning in the US.
(http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6234a9.htm). That is around 4,524 deaths
per year. Another negative effect is the quality of ones hair after swimming so often. Due to
excessive swimming, in a chlorine pool, hair can become very dry and damaged. The chlorine
can also create rashes and dry skin. (http://goaskalice.columbia.edu/swimming-good-weight-
loss). There are two risk factors when it comes to swimming. This is a significant difference
from walking and tai chi, proving my opinion that swimming is the best option for weight loss.
Walking, tai chi, and swimming are all great ways to lose weight for people with joint
pains. In my opinion swimming out shines the other two because of the various amounts of risk
factors. With walking the shoes, the clothing, the way you walk, types of walking all of these
little things matter, and all of these things are very costly. With tai chi, there is more joint pain,
not a great success in weight loss and the lessons are very costly. With swimming you can do it
anywhere there is water, the cost is very little. The only bad thing about it is drowning, and yes
its kind of a major thing but if you think about it, 4,542 isnt that many people when the
population was around 300 million people. Also hair is another negative affect but that can easily
be fixed by wearing a hair cap. Based on all this information it is clear that swimming is the best
option.






Faiza Ismail
Argumentative Essay Analysis


When trying to convince one to believe the same thing you believe. You have to
use certain techniques, such as logos, ethos and pathos. Logos or logical appeal uses statistics
and facts. Pathos or emotional appeal uses imaginary sounds and figurative language. Ethos or
ethical appeal uses qualifications, personal experiences and is in the first person. In my essay I
used both ethos and logos. When discussing the ways of walking, I used ethos. This is true
because I stated the qualifications of what was need to walk correctly, such as the attire, shoes,
and gait. I also used ethos when talking about drowning, I did this by bringing the personal
experience of having a brother drown. I used logos when discussing the statistics of how many
people die due to drowning. Logos was used once again when explaining the experiment that
showed muscle strengthening during tai chi. There are many ways to convince people and these
are only a few of the ways.




















Citations



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<http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/theses/42/>.
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"New Releases." The Health Benefits of Tai Chi. Harvard University, May 2008. Web. 6 Feb. 2014.
<http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/Harvard_Womens_Health_Watch/2009/May/The-
health-benefits-of-tai-chi>.
"QuickStats: Average Annual Death Rates from Drowning,* by Sex and Age Group United States,
19992010." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, 30 Aug. 2013. Web. 6 Feb. 2014.
<http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6234a9.htm>.