If you suffer from joint pain and are looking for a joint pain remedy, you’ll find this quick little article to be very helpful.
Because one of the best therapies, and overall things you can do for your health, is to get up and move around a little!
Why Exercise If I Have Joint Pain?
I’m not saying you should go run a marathon, or turn into a powerlifter (although be careful all this moving about may lead to such crazy activity if you find you like it!) … I’m just saying that even if you suffer from joint pain, exercise doesn’t have to be cut out of your daily regimen.
What’s more: there’s a lot of health benefits for you to get up and get movin!
There are several types of joint pain. Arthritis seems to be the most common. The joints get stiff and inflamed. Every time you move your fingers, bend your knees, bend or straighten your arms, the pain can be excruciating. Doing the things you love is tough enough without adding exercise to the equation. But, exercise is not the enemy.
There are many treatments for joint pain. We’ll discuss the roll of exercise here … Exercise will also help increase the strength in these joints for a stronger body. Here are some suggestions:
1. Dancing
You don’t have to be spinning and hopping all over the dance floor. Dancing classes like salsa, ballroom dancing, foxtrot and others are less demanding than some of the dances people are doing these days (and less provocative if that worries ya! I realize those suffering from joint pain might be from an older, less promiscuous days!).
Dancing provides full range of motion of the arms and legs. This is a combination of stretching and strengthening. Your abdominal muscles get a good workout when you dance. Keeping all of your joints in motion like that helps with pain management.
2. Ride a bicycle
Bicycling provides a relaxing way to exercise. Your legs go through the full range of motion as you pedal. Adjust your bike seat so that you aren’t leaning over too much and hurting your back and also so your legs get a full stretch.
3. Resistance training
This comes up often. There are very few conditions that Resistance training won’t help. Increasing muscle mass and strength is good for maintaining health. Muscles attach to bones and aid movement.
You can start with bodyweight resistance exercises and then eventually move on to lifting free weights, as always stay away from machines, they’re not “safer” at all and may actually injure you in the long run.
4. Sports Requiring You To Move Fast
Those who participate in impact sports can strengthen their bones (provided you’re getting adequate nutrition). This is good for women who are prone to osteoporosis. Strong bones strengthen joints. Play a game of basketball or take a martial arts class.
It’s important not to overdue it though — too much impact, and you’ll just be hurting your joints more. Work at your own pace and you will still see the benefit of your efforts.
5. Walking
Walking burns calories and stretches your body. Some joint pain sufferers have weight issues and walking can get that weight off to lessen the pressure on the joints as you strengthen them. Walk with comfortable shoes and on even terrain like the school track or on a treadmill. Walking on rocky or uneven ground can do more harm than good because you can fall or twist an ankle.
6. Walk Up Hills
I’ve already written about the benefits of hill sprints, and for the less active among us, hill walking can be a great exercise as well.
Plus, you can try walking backwards up a hill (or even on just flat ground) going sllllooowwwlllyyyy. Matt Furey is a big believer in this backwards walking stuff, says it’s a chinese technique for long life. Does make you more “aware” … like a walking meditation.
7. Yoga!
I REALLY did yoga. It’s actually one of the best forms of exercise I’ve done in a while … because it’s never really the same. Sometimes it’ll just be relaxing and easy … other times I’ll be challenged in some crazy pose of flexibility and balance.
What’s more: for people with joint pain, it’s perfect because you’re simultaneously building strength and flexibility throughout your joints, while managing your pain and stress and all in a low impact form of exercise that won’t ever injur your joints.
There’s always two things I can count on though:
- More Centered - because the whole class I’m focusing on my deep, belly breathing. An hour of this will do WONDERS for anyone (especially when it comes to stress and pain levels!)
- More Happy – because there’s always girlies in there with me gettin’ they sweat on
So if you’re suffering from joint pain of any kind, you might want to try exercise — any one of these seven ideas might turn out to be the joint pain remedy you’re looking for!
