2 Things You Absolutely Need To Be Doing To Help Your Joint Pain
If you're wondering what you can do right now to help relieve your joint aches and pains, there are two important things that you can start to do right now that will help you!
Stretch/move the muscles surrounding the joints
Strengthen the muscles surrounding the joints
So that's it - stretch and strengthen!
For people with joint pain, exercise is critical.
If you're in pain, exercising might sound like the last thing you want to do, but slow, controlled, gentle exercise will help you feel better for so many reasons!
According to the Mayo clinic, "Exercise increases strength and flexibility, reduces joint pain, and helps combat fatigue. Though you might think exercise will aggravate your joint pain and stiffness, that's not the case. Lack of exercise actually can make your joints even more painful and stiff."
Keeping your muscles and surrounding tissue strong is key to supporting your bones. A lack of exercise weakens muscles which support bones, creating more stress on your joints.
Slow and controlled movements of the joints including some light stretching maintains and or increases the range of motion of your joints, keeping them flexible/less stiff and mobile.
Moderate exercise can also help you to maintain a healthy weight which is also important to managing joint pain.
The Mayo Clinic affirms, "Exercise can help you improve your health and fitness without hurting your joints. Exercise can:
Strengthen the muscles around your joints
Help you maintain bone strength
Give you more energy to get through the day
Make it easier to get a good night's sleep
Help you control your weight
Enhance your quality of life
Improve your balance"
Source: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/arthritis/in-depth/arthritis/art-20047971
And you don't have to start with a long exercise routine, even just a few minutes a day (think 5 - 10) a few times a week helps!
To get you started, here's a link to my Karin Yoga Life Chair Yoga 10 minute video that includes some gentle stretches for your shoulders and spine for you to try: