If you’re experiencing joint pain, your first impulse might be to avoid exercise altogether. But performing joint strengthening exercises can actually help, rather than hinder, your recovery.
“When you exercise, you’re building strength in your muscles, ligaments and tendons around your joint, which helps build support,” explains Abby O’Rourke, clinical fitness regional lead at healthcare charity Nuffield Health.
The charity has selected the following six exercises as the best for building joint strength. Each of the moves—demonstrated below—can be tweaked to be easier or harder. Most of them can be performed either equipment-free or with a simple resistance band.
For the final move, you might want a bosu ball or balance board, which can be picked up for roughly $15 from Amazon, but there’s also a no-equipment alternative included.
Abby O’Rourke works at Nuffield Health as the clinical fitness regional lead for the north of the UK, supporting rehab specialists within the region. She also delivers the charity’s joint pain program, helping others progress their fitness levels, reducing their joint pain which improves their overall quality of life. In addition to these roles, O’Rourke also teaches Les Mills Core, BodyBalance and BodyAttack fitness classes.
How to do Nuffield Health’s joint pain prevention workout
- Squat
- Seated row
- Leg extension
- Shoulder press
- Step up
- Stability challenge
“I would suggest performing each move for between 30 seconds and one minute, then resting for 15-30 seconds,” O’Rourke advises. She suggests repeating the routine two to three times every week and doing it alongside an aerobic activity like walking.
“And remember, as the UK chief medical officer’s guidance says, ‘some is good, more is better’.”
The exercises
How to do it:
- Stand with your feet roughly shoulder-width apart and your toes pointed outwards slightly.
- Push your hips back then bend your knees…
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