Tip: No pain, big gain vs. joint disease

To lower your risk of osteoarthritis, put exercise on your to-do list. Just keep it off your overdo list.

Osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease that causes swelling and pain, is the most common type of arthritis among the 50-and-older crowd. A recent study found that light exercises lowered the risk for knee osteoarthritis. Strenuous exercises such as running or playing tennis raised the risk. People who did no regular exercise also had a higher risk of osteoarthritis.

Exercise that can be beneficial to your joints includes lower-

impact activities, such as walking, swimming or using an elliptical trainer. The study was presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.