Relax & Restore for Arthritis Program

We are excited to launch Relax & Restore for Arthritis, a new program designed to help you manage your arthritis symptoms through stress reduction, simple breathing techniques, and relaxation practices.

This program complements our existing programs by offering a fresh approach to arthritis management and overall wellbeing.

Why Relax & Restore for Arthritis?

Living with arthritis is about more than just managing physical symptoms—it's also about managing emotional and mental challenges that come with chronic pain. The Relax & Restore for Arthritis program gives you evidence-based tools to increase control of your mental and emotional wellbeing for a positive impact on your physical health as well.

By incorporating slow breathing and relaxation techniques, this program can help reduce stress levels, reduce pain and muscle tension, and improve sleep. These relaxation techniques can lower inflammation and improve pain management, helping you feel more in control of your condition while promoting a sense of calm and balance.

This program provides simple relaxation skills that are evidence-based, non-invasive, non-pharmacological, easy and portable. They can reduce distress, offer a self-help coping strategy and enable you to feel and live better with your arthritis.

In the Relax & Restore for Arthritis program, you will learn:

Breathing exercises to reduce stress, tension and pain.

Relaxation skills to help with arthritis management and improve your sleep and overall wellbeing.

Each session includes a combination of theory and practical exercises, followed by a Q&A section. It concludes with a live relaxation session where you can apply the practical techniques learned during the class.

Meet the Expert Instructor!

Dr. Judy Lovas is dedicated to quality education in Relaxation Therapy for anxiety, pain, depression, sleep disorders, trauma and chronic conditions. Judy has a PhD from Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney and an eclectic background in psychology, tertiary education, massage therapy, research and clinical practice. Dr. Lovas teaches relaxation skills to schools, workplaces, clinicians and health care professionals. The sessions demonstrate evidence-based techniques that are effective, easy and simple to use regularly.

How Relaxation Therapy Can Help

Research shows that deep breathing can have a positive impact on pain management (1,2).

When we breathe deeply and slowly, it activates the body’s parasympathetic nervous system, which helps calm the body and reduce stress. Lower stress levels can lead to reduced muscle tension and lower levels of inflammation, both of which are key in managing arthritis pain (1,2).

Studies also show that people who practice deep breathing techniques could better cope with arthritis pain, and reported feeling less discomfort over time (1,2).

People living with arthritis can experience pain, anxiety, depression, sleep disorders or inflammation. Relaxation therapy reduces the impact of stress-related conditions and encourages physiological and psychological balance. Regular relaxation can reduce symptoms and enhance health. Relaxation therapy complements and works well with other medical and pharmaceutical interventions.

About Relax & Restore for Arthritis

The 6-week program is designed to fit into your life, offering flexible online zoom sessions that you can access in the comfort of your own home.

Each session goes for 45 minutes, so it's one 45-minute class a week for 6 weeks!

Our Relax & Restore Arthritis program is a virtual group program designed to help people living with arthritis learn techniques to help with their arthritis management. Each week you can join our class from the comfort of your own home with an expert instructor coaching you through a live session.

As a 6-week program, we’ll stay with you at each step of the way. We can help to keep you motivated, offer support, and provide additional resources so you can incorporate them into your daily routine.

With the support of our online community, we can help ensure you’re living life to the fullest.

Cost

The total cost of the Relax & Restore for Arthritis program is $42. This equals just $7 per class.

Our Relax & Restore for Arthritis program is made available at the lowest price possible, with all registration fees directly going towards the ongoing costs of running classes. We would love to hear your feedback about this program!

We understand that at times people may experience financial hardship which may prevent them from being able to afford registration costs. We have a limited number of fully-subsidised spots available; if this applies to you contact Breanna at breanna.jones@arthritis.org.au or 07 3857 4200.

Sign up to Relax & Restore for Arthritis today

To join the program and go to your first class, click the start date and time below that suits you, select your payment option and complete your registration.

We’ll then send you an email welcoming you to the Relax & Restore for Arthritis program.

This email will prompt you with a few questions to ensure the program will be safe and suitable for you.

Once completed, we’ll get in touch with you to help finish off your registration!

Upcoming classes:

Can't find a suitable class time? Sign-up using the form below to get email updates when new classes are released.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can join the Relax & Restore arthritis program?

To gain access to the program you must:

Live with arthritis
Reside in Australia
Be aged 18 years or over.

How much does it cost to join the Relax & Restore for Arthritis program?

The total cost for the 6-week online Relax & Restore for Arthritis program is $42. This equals just $7 per class.

The online Relax & Restore for Arthritis program is made available at the lowest price possible, with all registration fees directly going towards the ongoing costs of running classes.

how can this program help someone with arthritis?

This program can be beneficial for someone with arthritis by helping manage the stress that often accompanies living with chronic pain. Stress can worsen arthritis symptoms, making day-to-day activities harder. When we experience stress, our bodies respond by releasing stress hormones, which can increase inflammation and pain.

By practicing evidence-based relaxation techniques, such as slow diaphragmatic (belly) breathing, people can reduce the stress response. These breathing exercises activate the body’s calming pathways, lowering the production of stress hormones, improving oxygen flow to the body, and encouraging the release of calming neurotransmitters. This see-saw effect – where relaxation reduces distress – can lead to a reduction in the emotional and physical strain that stress places on the body, making it easier for someone to manage arthritis symptoms and improve overall wellbeing.

This program provides simple relaxation skills are evidence-based, non-invasive, non-pharmacological, easy and portable. They can reduce distress, offer a self-help coping strategy and enable you to feel and live better with your arthritis.

can this program be used alongside our other programs?

Yes!! To get the best benefit it is recommended utilising our other programs and services to ensure you are covering all aspects of your health. Breathwork offers a holistic approach by addressing the mental and emotional aspects of managing arthritis, complementing the physical benefits gained from exercise.

While our exercise programs help build strength and mobility, breathwork can reduce stress and pain perception, promoting relaxation and resilience. Peer support and information services provide valuable community and knowledge, and when combined with breath-work, people can improve their coping strategies and overall wellbeing.

Together, these programs create a comprehensive toolkit for managing arthritis, improving both physical and emotional health.

Do you want to be notified of new class times as soon as they become available?

We'll have new classes starting every few weeks. Enter your details below and we'll update you once new classes are available!

Sources:
1. Larsen, Kalee L et al. “Effect of Deep Slow Breathing on Pain-Related Variables in Osteoarthritis.” Pain research & management vol. 2019 5487050. 3 Jun. 2019, doi:10.1155/2019/5487050
2. Liboriussen, Caroline Hundborg et al. “Investigating the Dose-Response Relationship between Deep Breathing and Heart Rate Variability in Healthy Participants and Across-Days Reliability in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.” Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) vol. 22,18 6849. 10 Sep. 2022, doi:10.3390/s22186849

Online Program | Relax & Restore for Arthritis