If you suffer from joint pain you already know that doing the things you love is tough enough without adding exercise to the equation.

But, exercise is not the enemy; on contrary, it can actually be your friend. You see, regular exercise as part of an overall pain relief program can help increase circulation and the strength in painful joints for a stronger body. It's for this reason that I recommend to all my joint pain patients some form of light activity to be performed every day.

Here are some suggestions:

Aerobics - those who participate in impact sports can strengthen their bones. This is good for women who are prone to osteoporosis. Strong bones strengthen joints. Play a game of basketball or take an aerobics class. Work at your own pace and you will still see the benefit of your efforts.

Dancing - you don't have to be spinning and hopping all over the dance floor. Dancing classes like salsa, ballroom dancing, foxtrot and others are less demanding than some of the dances people are doing these days.

Ride a bicycle - bicycling provides a relaxing way to exercise. Your legs go through the full range of motion as you pedal. Adjust your bike seat so that you aren't leaning over too much and hurting your back and also so your legs get a full stretch.

Weight training - this comes up often. There are very few conditions that weight training won't help. Increasing muscle mass and strength is good for maintaining health. Muscles attach to bones and aid movement.

Walking - walking burns calories and stretches your body. Some joint pain sufferers have weight issues and walking can get that weight off to lessen the pressure on the joints as you strengthen them. Walk with comfortable shoes and on even terrain like the school track or on a treadmill. Walking on rocky or uneven ground can do more harm than good because you can fall or twist an ankle.

Those who suffer from joint pain are suddenly limited in what they can do. Fortunately, exercises can help. Moving your body will increase flexibility, strength while reducing some of the weight bearing in your joints

Stress is a reality in most people’s life. When stress grips you, there's no time to stop for it. Unfortunately, besides the direct effects stress can have on your health (e.g. hypertension, heart disease), it's the number one cause of overeating. So the next time you're under a lot of stress, before hitting the fast food restaurant, learn whether you were driven there by your emotions.

What is emotional eating?

Remember, eating is a pleasurable activity and stimulates the same center of the brain that releases those “feel good” endorphins. Wouldn’t you know it; celery is not a comfort food that makes you feel good. You will rather eat foods like macaroni and cheese, fried chicken, potato chips, ice cream and anything made from dough.

The way to counter emotional eating is to focus on your body. Recognize that you are stressed or upset or sad. Pay particular attention to how and what you eat when you are on the emotional rollercoaster.

1. You are hit by hunger all of the sudden. You may have eaten not long before. Instead of reaching for the chips, think about what may be causing your perceived hunger.

2. You eat and eat without ever feeling full. Emotional eating can be mind-numbing. You continue to shovel in the food even if you are not hungry. It is a mechanism to cope with your emotions instead of facing the situation that is causing the problem.

3. You are making food choices that you wouldn’t normally make. Remember those comfort foods? If you were set to make dinner for the family, stopping off at drive-thru and buying pizza or a greasy hamburger could be due to emotional issues. Experiencing depression can lead to eating unhealthy foods and feeling guilty later.

Stress gets to everyone. Don’t let it ruin your healthy routine. Recognize when you are in the midst of an emotional crisis and watch what you eat.

The long and short of it is that yes, it is beneficial for your child to partake in exercise or a weight training regimen although there are a few things that you should keep in mind once this starts to happen.

No matter how you look at it, children aren't minature adults and therefore you can't use the same methods with growing children that you can use with adults, as children are different from adults emotionally, anatomically, and physiologically.

All children have immature skeletons, as their bones don't mature until they get 14 - 22 years of age. With girls, exercise during childhood can have very critical effects on bone health that can last for their entire lives.