ATP guide · Osteoarthritis
Exercise for osteoarthritis in Cork
Sore knees, a stiff hip, hands that ache in the morning. If you have osteoarthritis you have probably been told that movement is the best medicine, and wondered how to do that without making it worse. Our personal trainers build 30-minute sessions around your joints at our Douglas and Ballincollig gyms, following whatever your GP, consultant or physio has advised.
Osteoarthritis and training
Why stronger muscles mean happier joints
The evidence on osteoarthritis is unusually clear: strengthening the muscles around a joint reduces pain and improves how it works. It is the first thing the guidelines recommend, before injections or surgery.
Knees
Stronger quads and glutes take load off the knee joint. Sit-to-stands, step-ups and leg presses at the right load are where most people start, and where the pain relief comes from.
Hips
Hip osteoarthritis responds well to strength and mobility work. We build the glutes and the muscles around the hip, and keep the range of motion you have.
Hands, shoulders and backs
Grips, handles and ranges are adjusted so you can train everything else without aggravating a sore joint. The sore joint gets its own gentle work.
Pain is information, not a stop sign
A little discomfort during exercise that settles within a day is normal and fine. Pain that lingers or flares is not, and the session changes. Your coach watches for the difference.
Before or after a replacement
Getting strong before a hip or knee replacement makes recovery faster, and coached training afterwards, once your surgeon and physio clear it, is how people get their life back.
Weight and load
Every kilo lost takes several kilos of load off the knees on each step. If weight is part of the picture, our habit-based nutrition coaching runs alongside the training.
How it works
Training with osteoarthritis at ATP
Osteoarthritis is the wear and tear kind, the one most of us get somewhere by our 50s and 60s, usually in the knees, hips, hands or spine. For a long time the advice was to rest it. The advice now, from every guideline, is the opposite: keep the joint moving and make the muscles around it stronger. Done properly, that reduces pain, improves how the joint works, and for many people delays or avoids surgery.
The catch is the phrase done properly. A stiff, sore joint loaded badly gets worse. The same joint loaded well, in the right range, with the muscles around it doing the work, gets better. That is a coaching job.
What a session looks like
You train 1:2, one coach and two clients, each on your own programme, for 30 minutes. We start with the movements that matter for your joint: for knees, sitting to a box and standing, step-ups and leg presses; for hips, glute and hip work in the range you have; for hands and shoulders, machines and neutral grips so you can train hard without gripping hard. Load goes up in small steps as the joint settles into it. Balance and mobility work are built in.
Pain, flares and knowing the difference
Some soreness during and after training that settles within a day is normal and expected. Pain that is sharp, that lingers into the next day, or that leaves the joint swollen is not, and your coach adjusts the session there and then. Tell us how the joint is at the start of every session and we work from there.
Working with your GP, consultant and physio
Whatever they have advised about what to do and what to avoid, we follow it and build the programme around it. If you have physio exercises we fold them into the session. If a replacement is on the cards, getting strong beforehand pays off, and we pick things up again afterwards once your surgeon and physio give the go ahead.
What we are not
We are not a medical service. We do not diagnose and we do not replace your physio or your consultant. We are a coached gym where people with arthritic knees, hips and hands train safely every week and get stronger.
Getting started
Your first session is free. Claim it below and mention your joints in the form or when we ring. It is a real coached 30-minute session at Douglas or Ballincollig, no card and no commitment. If your arthritis is the rheumatoid kind, our rheumatoid arthritis page is written for that, and if you are in your 60s or beyond our over 60s page may help too. If a replacement is already on the cards, our hip and knee replacement page covers the before and the after.
Memberships & pricing
Simple, flexible pricing
Personal training from €20.56 a session on a rolling membership, €35 pay as you go, and no-expiry packs from €289. See full pricing →
FAQ
Osteoarthritis and training questions
If yours is not here, give us a ring. We would rather talk it through.
Is it safe to exercise with osteoarthritis in my knees?
Yes, and it is the first thing recommended in the guidelines. Strengthening the muscles around the knee reduces pain and improves how it works. The key is the right exercises at the right load, which is what coaching provides.
Will lifting weights wear my joints out faster?
No. That is the old thinking. Properly loaded joints get healthier, not worse, because the muscles around them take more of the strain. What wears joints is poor movement and weakness, not sensible strength training.
What about pain during exercise?
Mild discomfort that settles within a day is normal. Sharp pain, pain that lingers into the next day, or swelling means we change the session. Your coach watches for the difference so you do not have to guess.
I have been told I need a knee or hip replacement. Is there any point training?
A lot of point. Being stronger going into surgery means a faster recovery afterwards, and some people find the pain drops enough to put surgery off. Once your surgeon and physio clear you after the operation, we help you get back to full strength.
Is it a class or personal training?
Personal training, 1:2. One coach with two clients, each on their own programme, so your sore knee gets its own plan rather than a class routine.
Do I need my GP's OK first?
If you have been diagnosed or you are in a lot of pain, a quick word with your GP or physio first is sensible. Then tell us what they said and we build around it.
How much does it cost?
Rolling memberships start at €179 every 4 weeks for two sessions a week, and our no-expiry packs never lapse. Your first session is free, no card and no commitment.
From our members
From members who started where you are
In their own words, straight from Google.
"I recently had both hips replaced so I joined ATP Ballincollig about 5 weeks ago to build up my strength again. I’ve worked with every coach and they are all fantastic. The knowledge they have is exceptional. Always a very positive atmosphere, great banter and a guaranteed well balanced workout."
"ATP fitness have been great for me, i have had reconstruction surgery on both knees so can no longer play football or do long distance running. They have filled this void in my life by catering for my needs and making training not only challenging but fun."
"Great gym, lovely staff who encourage you at every step! Sound advice is always offered and I love that they cater to all ages and abilities! Exercises are modified to suit injuries or abilities and the attention to detail for each client is second to none!"
"They are mindful of any injuries or weaknesses we may have and ensure safety by varying and modifying exercises. All age are included in their training schedule. I highly recommend ATP fitness if you want to get into health and fitness."
Talk to a coach
Want to talk it through?
If you'd like a chat about training around osteoarthritis, leave your details and one of our coaches will give you a ring. No pressure and nothing to sign up to.
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Find us
Two locations across Cork
Douglas
2nd Floor, Unit A1, Donnybrook Commercial Centre, Donnybrook, Cork City
Tel: 087 649 4134
Mon-Thurs: 6:30am - 8:30pm
Friday: 6:30am - 7:00pm
Saturday: 8:00am - 2:00pm
Sunday: Closed
Ballincollig
Unit 1A, Link Road Business Park, Carrigrohane, Ballincollig, Co. Cork
Tel: 085 725 2370
Mon-Thurs: 6:30am - 8:30pm
Friday: 6:30am - 7:00pm
Saturday: 8:00am - 2:00pm
Sunday: Closed