You may love physical exercise, but when your joint pain flares up, you may not be able to exercise the way you’d like. It’s not a good idea to “push through the pain” in all circumstances, but there are strategies that can effectively reduce your joint pain and set you up for a fulfilling exercise routine that won’t make your joints worse.
Preventing Joint Pain
Your best strategy is to attempt to prevent joint pain as much as possible. Once joint pain has already set in, your life will already be disrupted. You’re much better off trying to prevent that pain from ever affecting your life.
These are some of the best ways you can do it:
· Invest in proper footwear. Make sure you invest in proper footwear, especially if you’re on your feet for your full-time job or if you run or walk frequently. Good shoes, with proper fitting, will be able to support your entire lower body, and even your back. They’re well worth the investment.
· Use compression sleeves. Some people are able to mitigate joint pain and prevent significant injuries by using compression sleeves, which are designed to distribute force and stress across a wider area. Sleeves for your knees or elbows, for example, can greatly reduce your susceptibility to injury when weightlifting.
· Eat plenty of healthy foods. Our bodies often benefit or struggle because of what we ingest on a daily basis. If you eat healthier foods, and get adequate nutrition, you’ll be less likely to experience pain and other negative health outcomes. Make sure you eat a varied diet, including lots of fruits and vegetables – and cut out the junk food as much as possible.
· Stay active. You can experience joint injuries or joint pain because of overexercising, but for most people, staying reasonably active is a great way to prevent joint pain. Make sure you get at least some exercise every day, even if it’s just a walk around the block.
· Lose weight. Heavier people are more likely to experience joint pain, for somewhat obvious reasons. If your body is carrying around extra weight, your joints are going to bear extra stress. If you want to minimize your joint pain in the future, you should try to maintain a healthy weight starting now. Fortunately, eating healthy foods and staying active are the perfect ways to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight – hopefully, you’re already practicing those new habits.
· Stop smoking. Through a somewhat unintuitive correlation, smoking and tobacco use are associated with arthritis and joint pain. If you’re still a tobacco smoker or nicotine user, consider ending the habit once and for all.
· Take medication (if necessary). If your joint pain becomes severe, or if it’s because of a specific condition, ask your doctor if there’s any medication that can help you manage the pain. Proactive pain management is often easier and more effective than reactive pain management.
Exercising With Sore Joints
Some joint pain may be unavoidable. Despite your best efforts, you may end up with significant joint pain that interferes with your exercise and your lifestyle. If this is the case, these are some of your best options for exercising with sore joints.
· Warm up. Everyone should be warming up before exercise, not just people suffering from sore joints. But if you have sore joints, warming up is even more important. Warming up gives your body a chance to adjust to a new exercise environment. You will circulate blood flow, activate your muscles, and make yourself more limber. Warming up also doesn’t have to be complicated; for example, a brisk walk is a perfect way to warm up for jogging or running.
· Take it easy. Don’t try to set any new personal records on days when your joint pain is severe. Pushing yourself is usually good when exercising, but now is not the time to test your limits. Focus on mild to moderate exercise that keeps you stimulated without challenging you too much.
· Focus on flexibility. Consider focusing on flexibility, rather than strength or endurance. Yoga and stretching exercises are great ways to keep your body in motion, relieve joint pain, relieve stress, and stayed in shape.
· Utilize low-impact exercises. Focus on low impact exercises that don’t cause much stress for your joints. For example, instead of running, you can try biking. Instead of lifting weight, you can try swimming. There are many cardiovascular and resistance exercises that are designed to be easy on the joints.
Sore joints don’t have to prevent you from exercising. In fact, exercise can be good for your joint health, as long as you exercise responsibly. As with all matters pertaining to your health and wellbeing, be sure to consult with your doctor before significantly changing up your routine.