Mixed
Combining moderate exercise with dietary weight loss produces significantly greater improvements in physical function, pain, and mobility in older adults with knee osteoarthritis compared to either intervention alone or usual care.
If you are over 60 with knee arthritis and are overweight, doing just diet OR just exercise is not enough to significantly improve your daily function or pain. You must do both. Aim for a 5% weight loss through diet while engaging in 3 days per week of mixed exercise (walking and light resistance). This combination significantly reduces pain and improves your ability to walk and climb stairs, whereas doing either one alone does not show these benefits compared to doing nothing special.
The combination of modest weight loss plus moderate exercise provides better overall improvements in self-reported measures of function and pain and in performance measures of mobility in older overweight and obese adults with knee OA compared with either intervention alone.
Why this rating
Large, randomized, single-blind clinical trial (n=316) with 18-month duration and high adherence rates.
Source
Exercise and dietary weight loss in overweight and obese older adults with knee osteoarthritis: The arthritis, diet, and activity promotion trial
Stephen P. Messier et al. · Arthritis & Rheumatism · 2004
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