Joint Pain Exercises
Although exercise may be the last thing on your mind, exercising painful joints can actually help relieve pain and stiffness. A mix of stretching, resistance training and aerobic exercise can help you regain flexibility and maintain a positive state of mind.
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Stretching
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Stretching helps you preserve a good range of motion in your joints. Without it, your joints will feel stiff and inflexible, and this stiffness will exacerbate pain.
One good stretch for knee joint pain requires you to lie flat on your stomach on a flat surface. Keep your leg straight and lift it three to four inches off the ground. Try alternating with your other leg, and also try to hold each leg in the air for five seconds or until you feel a good "burn" in your thighs.
Resistance Training
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Resistance training will strengthen the muscles around painful joints. Stronger muscles will take pressure off your joints as you perform everyday tasks and also provide stability for your joints. The "resistance" in resistance training can be anything from heavy weights to the water in a swimming pool; anything that forces you to exert pressure will do.
The common push-up is one popular resistance exercise. If pain keeps you lying horizontally and unable to complete the exercise, try pushing against a wall. Stand 2 feet away from the wall, place your palms against the wall at shoulder width, and push yourself into a standing position. Repeat as many times as you can, and keep track of your progress from day to day.
Aerobic Exercise
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Although jogging and running are popular forms of aerobic exercise, they are not advisable with people with joint pain. This high-impact activity will actually worsen knee joint pain, and there are many other ways to get your heart pumping.
Low-impact exercises such as walking, swimming or riding a bike will give you the same results without making your pain worse. Start out slow, and as always when beginning a new workout routine, consult your physician first.
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