For any disease, prevention is said to be better than cure. Gout is considered as a metabolic type of arthritis characterized by inflammation, painful swelling, redness and tenderness of joints. As the disease progresses, it can give rise to serious complications. Hence, you should try to prevent the development of this disease. Prevention of gout (gouty arthritis) can be done by eliminating the causes of gout including higher levels of uric acid, obesity, high intake of food containing purines, high alcohol intake and abnormal kidney function.

Certain medications, exercises, dietary factors and body weight control are helpful for the prevention of gout (gouty arthritis). Medications such as allopurinol (Aloprim, Zyloprim) help to prevent the uric acid production, while medications like probenecid improve the ability of kidneys to remove uric acid from the body. Few dietary changes such as increased intake of complex carbohydrates, fresh fruits like bananas, tomatoes, celery, foods rich in bromelain such as pineapple and low intake of food rich in purines, proteins and fats can be advantageous to prevent this disease.

Exercise is considered as one of best ways for the prevention of gout (gouty arthritis). It helps to lose excess body weight and control obesity which is one of the possible causes of gout. Besides maintaining a healthy body weight, exercise helps to build, strengthen and maintain healthy joints, muscles and bones, improves flexibility and mobility of joints, promotes blood circulation and improves mental health by reducing strength. All these benefits of exercise help to prevent recurrent attack of gout.

There are various kinds of exercises useful for prevention of gout (gouty arthritis). Range-of-motion exercises effectively reduce stiffness of joints and improve the mobility of joints. If your foot is involved, rotating the ankle in a circular movement can be beneficial.

Strengthening exercises are designed to improve and maintain the muscle strength. These exercises are generally performed using weights. However, they can also involve resistance exercises like holding and stretching a giant rubber band using hands. This kind of exercise is effective for muscle build-up.

Endurance exercises such as aerobics, cycling, swimming and walking are designed to increase circulation, strengthen your heart, control body weight and to boost your energy. Besides this, stretching exercises including pilates, yoga and tai chi help to improve flexibility and muscle strength.

Before starting the exercises, keep in mind that you should not exercise a joint which is inflamed. It can worsen the condition by prolonging inflammation and increasing pain. Exercise can help to control the uric acid levels, but cannot break up uric acid crystals, tophi or stones.

Regular exercise combined with healthy diet can be helpful to lower uric acid levels for effective prevention of gout (gouty arthritis).