Exercise Tips for Joint Pain
Sadly, many people have joint pain and arthritis. In this article, I will give you seven exercise tips for joint pain that allow you to still reap the benefits of exercise without more pain and inflammation.
Is it okay to workout with joint pain?
It’s definitely ok to work out with joint pain. Actually, exercise might even lessen your pain and inflammation.
If you have joint pain, you might believe that you should avoid exercise and physical activity.
Fortunately, now we know that exercise might even reduce joint pain or slow down arthritis progression.
So go ahead and lace up those sneakers and get moving.
What exercises can I do to relieve joint pain?
Many types of exercises can help relieve joint pain. Water aerobics which includes gentle movement can ease joint pain. Mobility and range of motion exercises can ease joint pain too. Additionally, low impact cardio like using an elliptical or ARC trainer can ease joint pain and soreness. Finally, strength training can ease joint pain by improving joint function, strength and stability.
What should I avoid if I have joint pain?
If you have joint pain with exercise, you should avoid any exercises that make your pain much worse. For some people, jumping and high impact exercises can make pain worse.
However, you may be able to continue running or doing your favorite activity. You might just need to make modifications to your form, your exercise frequency or duration to be able to keep doing the activities you enjoy. Or, you might need to add cross training to reduce the strain on your joints.
Is walking good for joint pain?
Walking can relieve joint pain. In particular, walking can ease lower back, hip and knee pain while strengthening muscles and improving your heart health.
If you have not acclimated yourself to a walking routine, start with 5 or 10 minutes at a time and work up to 30 minutes of pain free activity.
Warm up
If you suffer from joint pain, make sure you perform a proper warm up before starting activity. Try 3 to 5 minutes of walking, using an elliptical or jogging to warm up muscles and provide lubrication to joints.
Then take your muscles through a full range of motion and perform active stretches.
Next, try some simple activation exercises like wall planks or squats to a chair to help prime the muscles and joints to work properly during the workout.
Warming up properly can help reduce the risk of joint pain during or after your workout.
Cool Down
Performing a cool down after your workout can help your body transition back to a restful state. After performing your workout, you can perform about 3 to 5 minutes of cardio and try a few gentle stretches. Now that you have warm muscles from your workout, you can aim to restore joint range of motion to help relieve your joint pain.
Cardio
Sustained aerobic training can help reduce inflammation that can cause joint pain. Aerobic activity can also help you lose weight and take some stress off your joints. Start slow with aerobic training and work at a pace you can talk at. Once you can manage a moderate pace for 30 minutes, you can try working at a slightly higher pace and improve your cardiovascular system even more.
Just don’t progress too quickly in intensity or duration to keep your pain from flaring up. Also, make sure you schedule one or two days off per week to rest.
Strength Training
While strength training may seem counterintuitive for joint pain, it can really help keep pain at bay. Strength training improves muscle strength and joint stability to improve joint pain.
Start with simple exercises like squats, glute bridges, wall push ups and rows. Start with one set of 12 to 15 reps two or three times per week. Once that becomes easy, you can add an extra set to your weight training routine.
If you need help, consider working with a qualified personal trainer to help show you proper form.
Water Aerobics
Water aerobics can improve joint range of motion while allowing you to exercise without making your pain worse. This type of exercise can really help you if you just got started with an exercise routine or if you are overweight.
Stretch
Stretching after a workout can help improve joint mobility, which may actually improve pain or prevent your joints from deteriorating further. Try three to five stretches that stretch all your major muscle groups after each workout. Hold each stretch at a point of mild discomfort for 20-30 seconds.
Use Heat
Before exercise, try putting hot towels or warm compresses on your sore joints. You can use heat for 20 to 30 minutes before exercise to ease pain. Just make sure not to use towels that are too hot or could burn your skin.
Use Ice
While icing your injuries might not create a healing effect, ice can temporarily soothe joint pain after exercise. Try 15-20 minutes of icing your joints after a hard workout to ease pain and soreness. Just make sure to keep clothing or a towel between ice and your body to avoid skin injury.
Avoid High Impact
High impact workouts like plyometrics, running or lifting heavy weights may make your pain worse. You might need to avoid these activities, learn proper form, or modify your training volume so you can tolerate these activities better.
If you have joint pain with running or jumping, try lower impact forms of cardio. If you have pain with heavy strength training, you can try using lighter weights or alternative exercises that work the same muscle groups.
Increase Gradually
If you have joint pain, make sure you increase your workouts gradually. This tip can help you avoid joint pain and irritation. Try not to increase your exercise volume, intensity or duration by more than 10 percent per week. If you increase exercise time, don’t also increase the intensity. You want to make slow, steady improvements over time instead of trying too much too soon.
Final Thoughts
While it’s unfortunate that so many people have joint pain, the good news is that exercise is a safe and effective treatment for joint pain. If you follow the tips in this article, you can exercise successfully without worsening your joint pain and irritation. If you liked this article, please feel free to leave a comment below.
