EULAR updates arthritis physical activity guidance
- The European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology published a 2025 update telling clinicians to promote physical activity for inflammatory arthritis and osteoarthritis. - The paper sets 11 recommendations and aligns advice with World Health Organization targets, including reducing sedentary time and aiming for 150–300 weekly minutes. - It updates EULAR’s 2018 advice after WHO’s 2020 shift on sitting time and chronic conditions. (ard.eular.org)
Arthritis patients should be encouraged to keep moving, not told to avoid exercise, under updated guidance from the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology. (ard.eular.org) (medpagetoday.com) The update covers people with inflammatory arthritis and osteoarthritis, and replaces EULAR’s 2018 recommendations with a 2025 revision published online in *Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases* on April 25, 2026. (ard.eular.org) (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) The authors said new studies since 2018 included technology-based programs and behavioral strategies aimed at increasing physical activity and cutting sedentary behavior. Anne-Kathrin Rausch Osthoff of Zurich University of Applied Sciences was the lead author. (ard.eular.org) (medpagetoday.com) Physical activity here means planned exercise and everyday movement, from walking and cycling to strength work and balance training. Sedentary behavior means long stretches of sitting or lying down while awake. (who.int 1) (who.int 2) The new EULAR advice is built around World Health Organization guidance that adults, including people with chronic conditions or disability, should aim for 150 to 300 minutes of moderate activity a week or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous activity. (who.int 1) (who.int 2) EULAR’s first recommendation says health professionals should talk with arthritis patients about physical activity as a core part of standard care. The document contains 11 recommendations in total. (medpagetoday.com) (ard.eular.org) The paper says people may need to adapt activity to symptoms, flares, joint damage, fatigue, or other health conditions, but adaptation is different from avoidance. It also says providers should help patients find enjoyable, feasible ways to move more and sit less. (ard.eular.org) (medicalxpress.com) That marks a shift from older exercise advice that often focused mainly on formal workouts. The 2025 update explicitly incorporates sedentary behavior, reflecting the World Health Organization’s 2020 guidance that sitting time carries its own health risks. (ard.eular.org) (who.int) The World Health Organization says physical inactivity is widespread: 31% of adults and 80% of adolescents do not meet recommended activity levels. It estimates inactivity could cost public health systems about $300 billion from 2020 to 2030. (who.int) For rheumatology clinics, the update turns exercise counseling into routine disease management, alongside drugs and monitoring. For patients, the message is narrower and more practical: adjust the plan, break up sitting time, and keep moving when possible. (ard.eular.org) (medpagetoday.com)
