Adam Thomas has said he’s fighting to get fit for Strictly (Picture: PA)
It’s just three weeks until Strictly Come Dancing starts again, and Adam Thomas has spoken out about his attempts to get into shape for the series, admitting that sometimes it is a bit of a struggle.
The Emmerdale and Waterloo Road actor, 35, was announced as one of the 15 new celebrities who’ll be taking to the dancefloor from September 23.
He will be joining the likes of Angela Scanlon, Amanda Abbington, Layton Williams, Krishnan Guru-Murthy and Angela Rippon.
However, despite aiming to make it far in the competition, Adam has revealed that his recently diagnosed arthritis has left him ‘not in the best shape’ to compete.
Adam announced in August that he had been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, an inflammatory autoimmune condition, which can impact movement and left many fans wondering if he’d be able to take to the dancefloor this year.
However, on Monday, the actor posted a shirtless photo of himself after a session in a swimming pool, letting everyone know how he’s doing in the run-up to Strictly.
Flexing his bicep, he wrote: ‘A very rare sight – me with my top off!’
‘A very rare sight … me with my top off!’ (Picture: Instagram)
Adam has taken to swimming to help him with his arthritis (Picture: Shutterstock/BBC)
He then went into much greater detail about how arthritis has affected his training for the series and how it might affect him going forward.
‘I need to get comfortable feeling uncomfortable! I’m not in the best shape of my life but I could be worse.’
‘This year has been tough – but I’ve just got to stay focused now.
‘I’m still struggling and the pain is still there but I’m putting on a brave face.’
The symptoms of the condition involve stiffness, swelling, and pain in the affected joints – it is incurable but symptoms can be eased with treatment and medication.
Adam stepped out to celebrate his 35th birthday with his wife Caroline after his diagnosis (Picture: Backgrid)
Adam will be taking to the dancefloor from September 23 (Picture: Instagram)
What is rheumatoid arthritis?
Rheumatoid arthritis is a long-term condition that causes pain, swelling and stiffness in the joints. The condition usually affects the hands, feet and wrists.
Sometimes symptoms can ‘flare up’ and become worse, which can be difficult to predict.
With treatment, it’s possible to decrease how much this happens and minimise or prevent long-term damage to the joints.
Other more general symptoms include tiredness and weight loss.
Diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis early on is important, as early treatment can help reduce the risk of joint damage.
It is an autoimmune disease, which means your immune system mistakenly attacks cells which line your joints, leading to pain, swelling, and stiffness.
Over time it can affect not only joints and cartilage but also bone.
While there is no cure for rheumatoid arthritis, early diagnosis and treatments can allow sufferers months or even years between flare-ups.
Medicine, physiotherapy, and occupational therapy help keep people mobile, and surgery may be required to help any joint problems that may develop.
Depending on the severity of your arthritis, people may be forced to adapt how they do everyday tasks.
Complications include the potential of rheumatoid arthritis to lead to other conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome, inflammation of other parts of the body (eyes, lungs, heart), and an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
He continued: ‘Swimming helps me so much with my arthritis. I mean, as much as it kills me getting my top off and going for a swim, I know it’s helping me.’
‘I know it’s also helping me deal with the issues I’ve got with me and my body. Which is a good thing,’ he concluded his statement.
Meanwhile, one of Adam’s competitors, Krishnan Guru-Murthy has revealed he consulted his doctor after worrying about ‘dropping dead’ during the series.
The Channel 4 news presenter, who has genetic heart condition hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, said he had to keep his heart rate out of ‘the red zone’.
Watch Strictly Come Dancing on the BBC from September 23.
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MORE : Strictly star Dr Ranj Singh reveals how BBC show will help Adam Thomas’ long-term condition
But he insists he’s ‘putting on a brave face’.