We only get one body. Exercising will help keep your body up and running into old age. Joints are susceptible to pain no matter what age you are, and prevention is the best way to help your joints in the long and short term. Stiffness, strains, sprains, dislocations, and arthritis are common in weight-bearing joints: knees, ankles, shoulders, elbows, and wrists.
Here are seven tips to help you keep your joints protected and keep you exercising:
1. Warmup and Stretch
If you adopt only one of the tips from this list, this is the one to follow! Exercising with cold or stiff muscles can cause or worsen joint pain and injury. Starting your workout with warmups engages all your muscle groups and gets your blood flowing, and easy stretches will prepare specific muscles and joints for more intense movements. Hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds and remember to breathe.
2. Treat with Heat
Icing is good for injury, but heat will help loosen your joints prior to working out. Heat treatments increase blood flow making your joints feel more comfortable and ready for exercise. Use a heating pad or hot compress on stiff joints before you warmup or stretch.
3. Keep Muscles in Mind
The stronger and more supportive your muscles are the more effective they can be at protecting your joints. Joints are where two bones come together, connected by ligaments and muscles for stability. To build the strength of the muscles that support your knees, add exercises that strengthen the muscles around the joints. For knees, straight leg lifts, and hamstring curls; for ankles, calf raises, and ankle alphabets; and for elbows and wrists, bicep curls, and wrist flexor stretches.
4. Choose Variety
Balance your workout with a mix of aerobic exercise, muscle strengthening, and flexibility exercises to provide good joint health for a lifetime. Yoga, tai chi, and pilates all help our joints stay ready for intense exercise.
5. Consider Joint-Friendly Activities
Low impact exercises will help you stay fit while protecting your joints. Examples of low-impact activities vary by person and their bodies but include walking, cycling, swimming, treadmill, or rowing machine.
6. Wear the Right Shoes
Regardless of the workout, your shoes will help protect your knees and ankles. Choose a shoe that fits properly and is supportive of your foot and arch shape. For runners, you’ll want to change shoes every 300-500 miles or about every 6 months so they maintain adequate compression ability.
7. Don’t Ignore Pain
If you have pain while exercising or playing a sport, stop and rest. Icing your joints is a good way to help decrease inflammation and help with pain. If the pain persists, consult a doctor. Listen to your body; pushing through pain could make matters worse.
There are, of course, treatments out there to help chronic joint pain, but your first goal should be to try to avoid getting to the place where joint replacement and other major treatments or surgeries are necessary. If you want more specific help about activities that will help protect your joints and muscles, connect with Organically Grown Muscle Gym in Tacoma! We want to help keep your body working.