Physical activity covers not just sports but also simple everyday movements such as housework, walking and playing. Regular exercise has a great importance in maintaining good health, indeed inactivity is a risk factor for different chronic diseases. Physical exercise can play a crucial role in the treatment of rheumatic diseases, optimizing both physical and mental health, enhancing energy, decreasing fatigue and improving sleep. An exercise program for patients with rheumatic diseases aims to preserve or restore a range of motion of the affected joints, to increase muscle strength and endurance, and to improve mood and decrease health risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle. In this editorial I describe the benefits of the exercise on physical limitations and fatigue in rheumatic diseases that seem to have a short and long-term effectiveness. A literature review was conducted on PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar using appropriate keywords based on the present editorial. Core tip: In this interesting editorial I illustrated the beneficial effects of the physical activity in our life and in rheumatic diseases, including home and gym exercise programs, flexibility training and physiatric rehabilitation therapy. Physical exercise is able to improve balance, reduce pain, activate muscle and increase functional joint stability in patients with rheumatic diseases and osteoarthritis. The benefits of the exercise on physical limitations and fatigue in rheumatic diseases that seem to have a short and long-term effectiveness Musumeci G. Effects of exercise on physical limitations and fatigue in rheumatic diseases. World J Orthop 2015; 6(10): 762­769 Available from: