Cardio exercise is important for people with arthritis because it strengthens your heart and lungs and improves your metabolism which makes you better able to manage blood sugars, for example. Cardio stimulates cognitive function (aka brain health) and helps with weight loss. It is also known to reduce mental issues like stress, anxiety and depression. Being ‘cardio fit’ means you can climb stairs or hills, play sport or run around with the kids or grandkids.

Also known as CV (short for cardiovascular) aerobic or endurance exercise, cardio is anything that raises your heart rate and makes you breathe more heavily. You need to engage the muscles in your legs or arms or both and you’ll know if you are doing cardio exercise if you are ‘huffing and puffing’ and your body temperature increases.