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Regular exercise has been shown to reduce chronic inflammation, increase your pain tolerance, strengthen muscles, and increases blood flow. For those suffering from aching joints it’s hard to get the benefits of exercise while your body feels like the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz. Recently, Linda Melone, CSCS, wrote an article for Prevention which describes 11 Workout Tips for those suffering from aching joints. These tips may help staying active when you’re in pain easier.
Tip 1. Warm up thoroughly – most people skip the warm up and head right into their workout. According to David Kruse, MD, and a board-certified sports medicine specialist, jumping into a workout without first warming up your muscles can increase joint pain. Five minutes of light movement, such as walking, is enough to get the blood flowing and warm up your muscles.
Tip 2. Use a foam roller – when your fascia becomes dry and brittle it can make joint pain feel worse. The fascia acts like a cushion for your joints and helps to protect them from impact during exercise. Foam rolling helps rehydrate your fascia by creating gentle compression, which stimulates cells and helps fluid move back into the tissue. Related product: CanDo® foam rollers.
Tip 3. Shake things up – performing the same exercise every day helps you make exercise a habit, but it can cause overuse injuries. Mixing up your workouts prevents your muscles from becoming weak and overused, which leads to your joints taking on more impact.
Tip 4. Find the best cardio for you – determine the best cardio program for your joints by finding your tolerance level. Start with the least impactful movement and slowly increase until your joints cannot take anymore. Keep a log to tract how you react to each exercise plan.
Tip 5. Alternate upper and lower body exercises – using this method is easier on your joints because it gives them a longer break in between exercises.
Tip 6. Take time to stretch – tight muscles can hinder you body’s normal movements and range-of-motion within your joints. Be sure to stretch all of your major muscle groups following your workout. Hold each stretch for 20 to 30 seconds.
Tip 7. Use props to ease pain – most exercises can be modified to make performing them more comfortable without sacrificing any of the benefits of performing the exercise. For example, use dumbbells or yoga blocks while performing push-ups instead of having your hands on the floor. Related product: CanDo® vinyl-coated dumbbells
Tip 8. Shift your weight – if you can do squats or lunges, be sure to have your weight on the back of your heels rather than the ball of your foot. Shifting your weight takes the strain off your knees and quads, thereby making the moves more comfortable to perform.
Tip 9. Modify your range of motion – shortening your range of motion can assist with easing joint pain. For example, to reduce the risk of knee pain, don’t allow your knees to bend below 90 degrees.
Tip 10. Practice yoga or pilates – low-impact exercises can help you stay in shape even when you’re feeling sore. Pilates focuses on joint mobility and stability and works to improve balance and alignment. Yoga has been shown to work well for those with rheumatoid arthritis reduce swelling and ease pain.
Tip 11. Add water – water-based workouts put less pressure in the joints. It also provides resistance allowing you to build and strengthen muscles while ultimately support the joint.
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