Exercises to Help Alleviate Joint Pain
Painful joints don’t discriminate. It doesn’t matter if you’re young or old, or fit or out of shape, joint pain can attack anytime. Whether this pain is due to overexercise or overwork, an illness, a disease, or because of a myriad of other reasons, it can be difficult and frustrating to deal with.
Some of the factors that contribute to joint pain—such as a disease or injury—cannot be helped. But lack of activity, poor posture, or improper exercising are the things we can change. Regardless of the origin of your pain, there are things you can do to help prevent it from worsening and to even improve it.
At Performance Inspired, we are always working to help you become a healthier and stronger you. We know the importance of exercise, but we also know that it can be a struggle to exercise when you’re in pain. So we want to show you how low-impact exercise can strengthen your body while being kind to your joints.
The benefits of low-impact exercise
As most of us know, high-impact exercises, like jogging or jumping rope, can put a lot of pressure on your joints. So if you have joint problems, you will want to stick with exercises that will not exacerbate your pain.
We know that it can be difficult to start an exercise regimen if you have been sidelined for a while or if you are out of shape. But let’s look at what good exercise can do for your body and how losing excess weight will help improve your health. As WebMD explains, “Every pound you lose takes 4 pounds of pressure off your knees and 6 pounds off your hips.”
That’s a lot of pressure!
In addition, it’s important to understand that our bones need strong muscles for support. When we stop exercising, or when we get out of the habit, those muscles become weakened, which then puts more stress on the joints.
The Mayo Clinic explains that “the right kinds of exercise can improve health and fitness without hurting joints.” Further, it can:
- Strengthen muscles around joints
- Help maintain bone strength
- Increase energy
- Make it easier to sleep well
- Help control weight
- Improve balance
- Improve mood
I think we would all like those benefits!
So let’s look at some exercises that will help alleviate joint pain. Make sure you warm up before you begin and after you finish. Stretching will keep you from injuring yourself.
- Range-of-motion exercises
These types of exercises reduce muscle stiffness and help joints go through their full range of motion, and most can be done every day. Some examples include stretching your arms up high to the ceiling, neck stretches, shoulder rolls, heel slides, and ankle pops. All of these will help strengthen muscles and improve circulation while keeping pressure off your joints.
- Using an elliptical machine
Unlike jogging, where both feet pound the surface of the ground, when on an elliptical machine, both feet remain in contact with the surface. This results in less pounding on your knees. And because most have settings that allow you to increase your incline or resistance, you can get a great cardio workout.
- Yoga, Tai Chi, Pilates
These exercises strengthen your core muscles and “emphasize stretching and gentle movements, resulting in improved flexibility and increased range of motion. Regular practice can lengthen and strengthen muscles, making daily tasks and other physical activities easier and more efficient.” They can also improve your balance, which then helps prevent falls and injuries.
- Weight training
Weight training, when done properly, can help build and keep muscle strength. Plus it’s good for your bones. In absence of a weight machine or large free weights, you can use resistance bands, kettlebells, or smaller handheld weights. When starting a weight training program, talk to your doctor, a physical therapist, or a personal trainer, especially if you have no experience with weights. They can put you on a schedule that will benefit you and your current health situation.
- Low-impact aerobic exercises
Aim for exercises that get your heart pumping. Like any muscle, our hearts need to work out to become healthier. Exercises that are easy on the joints include walking, swimming or water aerobics, and bicycling (if fitted properly for it). The Mayo Clinic advises that you should “try to work up to 150 minutes of somewhat hard aerobic exercise every week [or] exercise 10 minutes at a time if that’s easier on your joints.”
Remember that any exercise that removes or reduces the pressure from your back, hips, and knees will benefit your body and help alleviate joint pain. Shoot for moderate aerobic activity several days a week. But don’t be afraid to start out slowly, if that is what you need. The point is to get out and do something. Your stamina will increase the more you do. And you will find that you are feeling healthier and experiencing less pain.
