Keep Your Joints in Shape with These 9 Exercises
Your joints are the points where your bones connect, allowing you to move more easily and keep your muscles from becoming too stressed out in the process.
Whether you're suffering from arthritis or simply want to make sure that your joints last you as long as possible, there are several exercises that you can do regularly to help keep your joints in shape and stave off any pain that could come with weak or damaged ones.
Here are 9 exercises that will help keep your joints in shape.
1) Jogging or Treadmill exercise
Jogging is one of the easiest forms of exercise. It has myriads of benefits - like it improves heart and lung function, gains muscle strength, improves cognitive function and memory, etc. It is low impact exercise, therefore can be done without causing too much trouble for the elderly.
About half an hour of jogging every day is sufficient to burn enough calories and keep ourselves in shape. However, please make sure you walk on an even surface not a rough terrain, and in a well-lit area.
You should consider avoiding busy roads as they are accident-prone areas and with a lot of pollutants. Walking on a treadmill can avoid the downsides of walking outdoor.
Walking on a treadmill
2) Stretching exercise
Stretching back muscles
The next exercise that can be easily performed daily is stretching exercise. These are free-hand exercises, therefore do not require any special equipment.
Upper body stretching exercise
Stretching exercise improves muscle tone and reduces joint stiffness. Done properly, it also improves overall body strength. It is a good idea to do upper and lower body stretching exercises for 10-15 minutes before beginning other exercises.
Lower body stretching exercise
3) Squats
Squats are a fundamental move that strengthens your entire lower body—especially your glutes and hamstrings.
To do them, stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and toes pointing forward. Bend your knees until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor and your knees aren't popping past your toes.
After a short break, you should return to your original standing position with the aid of your toes.
4) Lunges
Lunges exercise
Lunges are an excellent way to improve the stability and mobility of your knees, hips, and ankles. Perform a lunge by standing upright with your hands on your hips.
Step forward into a lunge position while lowering your rear knee until it almost touches the floor.
Ensure that you keep your torso upright throughout and focus on keeping both feet flat as well as ensuring that they do not shift inward or outward when moving into a lunge position.
Before returning to an upright position, push off of both feet to propel yourself back up to standing. Repeat for 15-20 repetitions per leg at least 2 times per week
5) Bench Dips
Bench dips exercise
A great way to strengthen your triceps and chest, bench dips are a tried-and-true favorite. If you're unable to do standard dips, try using parallel bars.
Rest your hands on them slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and walk your feet forward until you feel a stretch in your triceps.
Bend your elbows 90 degrees so that only your upper arms are supporting you, and begin lowering yourself downward until your upper arms are at about 90 degrees to your torso.
Press back up until you have fully extended both arms. Pause for one second and repeat until failure. Try to perform three sets of as many reps as possible each day!
Three to four sets of 10 will do wonders for toning those muscles!
6) Pushups
Push-ups exercise
Not only are pushups good exercise for building muscle and burning fat, but they can also provide some serious joint support.
When you do a pushup, you're supporting your entire body weight with your hands, which can have a positive impact on your wrists, elbows, and shoulders.
Studies show that doing just one set of pushups each day can help you strengthen these joints and improve their range of motion by as much as 30 percent!
For further joint support benefits, try standard pushups instead of girl or decline pushups.
7) Bridges
Bridges exercise
Bridges are a great way to strengthen your glutes, abs, and lower back. To do them, lie face-up on your mat and bring your knees up toward your chest so that they’re bent at a 90-degree angle.
Squeeze your butt muscles to lift your hips toward the ceiling while keeping both feet flat on the floor—your knees should be directly over top of each other.
Hold for one second before lowering back down (it should take five to ten seconds). Complete three sets of 12 reps.
8) Burpees
Burpees are one of my favorite compound exercises because they provide full-body conditioning and burn a high number of calories.
They’re also a terrific full-body cardio warmup before you start lifting weights. Start with your feet together, then jump and bend down to touch your hands to your toes while kicking back your feet (you should be jumping high enough that you can tap your toes on a bench).
Then stand up all at once, bringing your hands and feet together again. Continue for as many repetitions as you can manage—usually about 25 or 30—and work up to three sets of them before moving on to another exercise.
9) Bicycling (stationary or outdoors)
Stationary cycling exercise
Bicycling is a great low-impact exercise that can help improve blood circulation, burn calories and build your cardiovascular system.
If you have joint pain, especially pain around your knees or ankles, a stationary bike might be a better option than biking outdoors.
Low-impact exercises are ideal for individuals with arthritis as they decrease stress on affected joints and soft tissues.
When using any bicycle, make sure to wear proper safety gear including shoes and clothing that cover your body well.
Keep an eye out for potholes or uneven ground — even indoor cycling can be hazardous if it isn’t done properly.
N.B – The content provided is for information and education purposes only.
