6 Exercises To Protect Your Joints As You Age

Joint stiffness and pain are common as we age. You can reduce your risk of developing joint diseases such as osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis by performing 6 joint exercises regularly.

Age is a major risk factor for high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis or osteoarthritis. As we age, our joints become brittle and stiffer with less lubrication and thinning cartilage, causing pain and joint pain. In this case, you may want to avoid exercise because no one wants to make the situation worse. However, physical exercise has been shown to support joint health by improving and maintaining strength, flexibility, and reducing stiffness. You can perform these joint exercises to increase flexibility and reduce pain.

Exercises for Joints

6 things you can do to improve your joint health and well-being:

1. Aerobic exercise

Aerobic exercises such as walking, cycling and swimming are beneficial for general health. These exercises help increase blood flow to the joints, strengthen the surrounding muscles, and reduce stress on the joints by helping maintain body weight.

• Walking – Walking briskly for 30 minutes a day can increase joint mobility and reduce stiffness.
• Cycling – This is a low-impact exercise that can help strengthen your legs and strengthen your knees and hips.
• Swimming – Swimming provides a full-body workout without straining your joints.
• Cycling Aerobics – Cycling is the best way to increase endurance.

2. Stretching exercises

Stretching exercises are important to maintain flexibility, reduce stiffness and improve movement coordination. Follow these 5 exercises to keep the joints moving:

• Quadriceps Stretch – Stand on one foot, pull the other leg back and hold your ankle.
• Hamstring Stretch – Sit on the floor with one leg straight and your toes pointed.
• Calf Stretch – Stand with one foot forward, knee bent, and the other leg straight back, heel on the floor.
• Hip Flexor Stretch – Kneel on one knee, the other leg in front, and lean forward.
• Shoulder stretch – Place one arm across your body and gently pull with the other arm.

3. Resistance training

Resistance Training helps strengthen the muscles around joints, providing better support and stability. Do these 5 exercises to reduce pain and stiffness:

• Leg Press – Helps strengthen quadriceps muscles, hamstring muscles and hip muscles.
• Side Band Walking – Using a resistance band around your thighs can help strengthen your hip abductors.
• Biceps Curl – Can strengthen elbow muscles.
• Tricep extensions – Strengthens the muscles around the elbow and shoulder joints.
• Chest Press – Can help strengthen the muscles around the shoulder joints.

4. Balancing Exercises

These exercises strengthen muscles and increase stability, thus reducing the risk of falls and joint injuries. Here are 5 exercises for joint stiffness and pain:

• Standing on one leg – Stand on one leg for 30 seconds, then switch to the other foot.
• Hip Abduction – Standing, pull one leg out to the side, hold briefly, then lower.
• High Lunge – Move one leg forward into a lunge position, then stand back up.
• Rear leg raise – Stand on one foot and extend the other leg back.
• Side Step – Use protective straps around your ankles and side steps against the resistance.

5. Strength training

Strength training can improve muscle and joint function and help protect bones. This may reduce the risk of osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis as you age. Follow these 5 exercises to reduce pain and improve joint mobility:

• Half Squat – Stand in a half squat with your feet shoulder-width apart and stand up again.
• Side leg raise – Stand straight, lift one leg to the side and then lower it.
• Step ups – Place one foot on the ladder or box, then lift the foot up and place it back.
• Calf raises – Stand on your feet, then lower your heels.
• Standing Leg Curl – While standing straight, bring one heel to your hip, then lower.

6. Yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi

In addition to these exercises, you can add the following 3 exercises to your daily routine to improve your health:

• Yoga – Helps to improve flexibility, strength and balance, and supports joint health through a variety of exercises and stretching movements.
• Pilates – Focuses on core strength, flexibility and total body alignment by improving joint health.
• Tai Chi – The gentle movement of Tai Chi increases balance, flexibility and muscle strength. It also helps to reduce stress on joints.

Doing these exercises regularly can keep your joints mobile and reduce the risk of joint pain and other problems.