Table 3.

Contraindications to Exercise in Osteoarthritis and Diabetes. Data from references^67–73

Osteoarthritis
Relative Contraindication	Mild to moderate joint pain	Most people can safely work through mild joint pain. If pain is worse two hours after exercise, stop exercise, for 1–2 days and: Decrease amount of exercise next time Exercise different joints (e.g., if knees hurt during walking, skip lower-body training and work on upper body instead)
Absolute Contraindication	Moderate to severe joint pain	Continued pressure on inflamed joints can cause further damage Switch to a workout that puts less pressure on joints (e.g., swimming) Extreme joint pain requires further medical exam
Diabetes73,83,92,105
Relative Contraindications Requiring Closer Monitoring- Based on Blood Glucose (BG)	B G 70–100 mg/dL	Have a snack - 15g carb every hour of moderately intense activity
	BG 100–300 mg/dL	Proceed with exercise program
	BG> 300 mg/dL	If patient feels well, is adequately hydrated, and urine and/or blood ketones are negative, proceed with light- or moderate-intensity exercise with periodic monitoring of BG In the absence of very severe insulin deficiency, light- or moderate-intensity exercise tends to decrease BG If BG rises with exercise, stop exercise
Absolute Contraindications	Ingestion of alcohol 3 hours prior to exercise
	Hypoglycemia-BG< 70 mg/dL. Symptoms include shakiness, pale skin color, dizziness, behavior changes, sweating, clumsy/jerky movements, hunger, seizure, headache, tingling sensations around the mouth
	Hyperglycemia-BG> 300 mg/dL with ketones and > 1 of the following require emergency treatment: shortness of breath, nausea and vomiting, breath that smells fruity, a very dry mouth

Information in this table is not intended for use by patients