Ulrika Jonsson has turned to Zero Gravity Pilates to combat “pretty terrible” bouts of arthritis.
The former Gladiators presenter, 54, was diagnosed with a degenerative condition in both hips about four years ago but was told she had probably suffered from it for most of her life.
Ulrika, who was forced to give up walking, said her arthritis was “completely aggravated by four childbirths and various exercises that were probably not ideal”.
EXCLUSIVE: ‘I go through times when it’s pretty awful’ Ulrika Jonsson detailed how she fights arthritis attacks with Zero Gravity Pilates – and revealed she’s ‘on the verge of needing a hip replacement’ (pictured in March)
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Mail, she said: “I started Zero Gravity Pilates about a month ago. It uses this reformer, this device that looks like something out of Fifty Shades of Gray, and because it’s zero gravity, you don’t put any pressure on the muscles.
“But when I do that, I can hear and feel my hip bone clicking and the pain from that. But I know that I strengthen all muscles.
“I used to swim a lot, which was definitely excellent exercise for me, but those are pretty much the only two things.”
Health: The former Gladiators host, 54, was diagnosed with a degenerative disease in both hips about four years ago but was told she had probably suffered from it for most of her life (pictured in March)
Rochelle Humes, Kimberley Walsh and Lisa Snowdon are all fans of the low-impact workout, which uses bodyweight and gravity to create resistance on a skateboard.
Although she’s not in pain every day, the Swedish-born TV star is finding it increasingly difficult to get out of bed or out of a car after long periods of time.
She uses a specially designed hot water bottle to relieve stiffness in her hips in bed and takes painkillers during flare-ups.
“The most important thing is that I work at home most of the time and I often write while sitting and just can’t sit for long,” she explained.
Travel: Ulrika, who was forced to give up walking, said her arthritis was “completely aggravated by four deliveries and various exercises that were probably not ideal”.
“I get up and walk around. I put my laptop in a standing position. It’s a constant negotiation.
“When I’ve spent two or three hours in a car to get to London, it’s quite difficult. It’s like your hips cramp and you have flash-like moments where you’re like, “I can’t move.”
“Of course when I’m lying in bed, when you fall asleep you’re probably lying in a pretty rigid position, and sometimes I struggle to get that first movement out of my body.
“I use a long hot water bottle and it’s perfect because it goes right over my hips and just warming up the muscles was like a revelation.
Honest: The mother-of-four, who attended last year’s Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, said it was difficult to take in the news of a possible hip replacement as it was a “sign my body is falling apart” ( pictured August 2021)
“Nobody likes losing sleep, it’s so debilitating. I go through times where it’s pretty awful.
In addition to the hot water bottle, she also uses a knee pillow, both designed by Arthr, a company that specializes in products for people with arthritis.
“I’ve slept with a pillow between my knees for a number of years,” she said.
“When I traveled, I folded towels in hotel rooms. I will be in absolute agony even if I lay down on the sofa with nothing between my legs.
“I would just never think of going to bed without a pillow between my legs. Maybe not the sexiest, but what can you do!’
The mother-of-four, who attended last year’s Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, said she is on the verge of needing a hip replacement.
She said it was difficult to take in the message as it was a “sign of my body falling apart.
“I have some friends who have hip replacements and they’re a little older than me, and I just thought, ‘It’s not really something I want to think about yet.
“It was definitely one of those things where you say, ‘It’s a slippery slope into old age.’
Open: “For me it was a bit of fear and panic because you just think it’s not really something you can stop. This is a sign that my body is falling apart,” she admitted (pictured May 2021).
“Mobility is something we value very much and I certainly do as someone who is active. I’m up all the time doing things, whether it’s gardening or going for a walk.
“For me it was a little bit of fear and panic because you just think it’s not really something you can stop. It’s a sign that my body is falling apart,” she admitted.
Ulrika said she believes HRT has helped alleviate the condition, adding: “I think I feel a lot better than I would if I wasn’t and I’m pretty keen on that nipped in the bud when I went into perimenopause and I went to the doctor because I figured I’d be damned if I had to endure anything else Mother Nature throws at me.
Arthritis is a common condition that causes pain, inflammation, and stiffness in the joints.
The main treatments are lifestyle changes, medication, and surgery in more severe cases.
Arthr recently conducted a study that found that three-quarters (74 percent) of people with arthritis have trouble sleeping, with nearly a quarter of them being disturbed by joint pain each night.
Ulrika added, “Don’t put me in an old box or bracket, get past that and associate it with all those negative words, because people who are suffering need all the positivity we can get.”
WHAT IS RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS? THE PAINFUL LONG-TERM ILLNESS THAT IS INCURRABLE
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) affects around 400,000 people in the UK
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) affects around 400,000 people in the UK and nearly 1.3 million adults in the US.
Women get sick up to three times more often than men. Individuals with a family history of rheumatoid arthritis are also more susceptible.
It’s a long-term disease in which the immune system causes the body to attack itself, resulting in painful, swollen, and stiff joints.
RA, the second most common form of arthritis, which often begins between the ages of 40 and 50, tends to affect the hands, wrists, and knees.
Scientists are currently unsure of the exact cause of RA, but smoking, eating lots of red meat, and coffee drinkers are at higher risk.
A cure has yet to be found, but treatments are available and have been shown to help slow the progressing condition.
RA is a complex autoimmune disease that is diagnosed and treated by a consultant rheumatologist in secondary care, and the patient is regularly followed up by a specialist-led multidisciplinary team in the hospital.