If you have arthritis, you may wake up with pain and stiffness that limits your activities—at least until you’ve had time to limber up a bit. This is so common that therapists often schedule arthritis patients later in the day when they are more capable of participating in rehab.
While it may be hard to get moving, avoiding physical activity can cause muscles and joints to stiffen even more. Exercise has been shown to significantly improve joint function, relieve stiffness, and decrease pain.
If it’s been a while since you’ve exercised, it’s best to start slowly to build up your supporting muscles. Your bones need the support of strong muscles; weak muscles will only put more stress on your joints.
Easy Exercises to Combat Arthritis
Part 1
5 Exercises to Overcome Osteoarthritis Pain and Restore Function
Part 2
5 Therapist-Recommended Exercises to Reduce Painful Gout Flare-Ups
Part 3
5 Exercises to Counter the Bizarre Symptoms of Raynaud’s Phenomenon
Part 4
5 Therapist-Recommended Exercises to Manage Rheumatoid Arthritis
Part 5
5 Low-Impact Exercises to Combat Painful Fibromyalgia
Part 6
5 Low-Impact Exercises for Psoriatic Arthritis Relief
Part 7
6 Therapeutic Exercises to Help You Manage Lupus
Part 8
5 Exercises to Ease Morning Pain and Stiffness
Part 9
Suddenly Arthritic: 6 Key Exercises to Help Counter Reactive Arthritis
Part 10
The Impossible Lid: Opening Containers When You Have Arthritis
Part 11
7 ‘Quadzilla’ Exercises to Strengthen Weak Legs and Improve Mobility
More from this series
Exercise Tips to Protect Your Joints
Consider the following tips for safety and comfort:- Warm up. A hot shower or applying a heating pad before exercise can relax joints and muscles and lessen pain.
- Start slowly. It’s important to ease into exercise movements and increase the intensity as you become stronger.
- Low impact is best. Low-impact exercises are easier on the joints, put less stress on the body, and will prevent injury.
- Be consistent. Consistency with exercise is essential if you want to achieve meaningful results.
- Listen to your body. When you have arthritis, it’s best to approach exercise slowly and gently. Take a break if you feel pain, and adjust the intensity accordingly.
- Ice after exercise. If you experience joint pain or swelling after exercise, applying ice to your joints for up to 20 minutes can be helpful.
5 Exercises to Reduce Pain and Stiffness
The following exercises have been highly effective in helping my patients combat morning stiffness and pain. While these exercises can be challenging at first, they’ll become easier with consistent practice.1. Knees-to-Chest
This fairly intensive exercise provides a strong core muscle workout. It’s a great way to warm up most of the joints in your body, including your neck, shoulders, back, hips, knees, ankles, elbows, and wrists.
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Step 1: Start by lying on your back with your feet together and your hands by your sides.
Step 2: Bend your hips and knees, raising both legs while simultaneously lifting your head and shoulders. Place your hands behind your knees and try to touch your forehead to your knees.
Step 3: Hold the position for a couple of seconds when your knees touch your forehead, then slowly return to your starting position.
This is considered one repetition. Try to do three sets of 10 repetitions, making adjustments as needed.
2. Hip Rotations
Hip rotations are one of the best ways to decrease morning stiffness in your back and hips without provoking pain.
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Step 1: Lie on your back with your knees bent and the bottoms of your feet on the floor.
Step 2: While keeping your shoulders flat on the floor and your knees together, slowly rotate your knees/lower body to one side as far as you can without lifting your shoulders.
Step 3: Bring your knees back into an upright position, then rotate as far to the other side as you can.
Rotating to one side is considered one repetition. Try to perform three sets of 30 repetitions. Feel free to make adjustments as needed.
Although you may be stiff at the beginning of these exercises, you should quickly limber up with repetition.
3. Dead Bug
The dead bug is a classic exercise that activates your core muscles while stabilizing muscles throughout your body.
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Step 1: Lie flat on your back with your arms extended toward the ceiling and legs in a tabletop position (knees bent 90 degrees and over hips).
Step 2: Slowly extend your left leg straight out while simultaneously extending your right arm behind your head, keeping both a few inches off the ground. Keep your back pressed to the floor with your core engaged.
Step 3: Bring your arm and leg back to the starting position.
Step 4: Repeat the movement on the other side with your right leg and left arm.
This counts as one repetition. Try to perform 20 repetitions per set and three sets.
4. Touch Toes/Touch Sky
This exercise focuses on your shoulders, hips, trunk muscles, and joints. I like it because it also focuses on standing balance and endurance.
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Step 1: Start by standing as upright as possible over your center of gravity with your feet about a foot apart and your arms at your sides.
Step 2: Slowly lift your arms above your head. Push your hips forward and pull your shoulders back to be sure you’re as upright as possible—as if trying to touch the sky. Hold this pose for a few seconds.
Step 3: Slowly lower your arms while bending your hips until you touch the floor (or reach down as far as possible). Be sure to keep your head down and don’t round your back. Hold for three seconds before slowly standing back up and reaching over your head again. You can bend your knees slightly to take pressure off your back and hamstrings.
This counts as one repetition. Try to do three sets of at least 15 repetitions.
5. Standing Wall Touch
The standing wall touch is great for increasing mobility in your shoulders, spine, and hips.
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Step 1: Stand with your back to a wall, about a foot and a half away, arms by your sides, and feet approximately shoulder-width apart.
Step 2: Without moving your feet, turn to one side and reach across your body to touch the wall (or reach as far as you can).
Step 3: Hold this stretch for a few seconds, then return to the starting position.
Step 4: Repeat on the opposite side.
This is one repetition. Try to complete 30 repetitions per set and three sets.
When you’re experiencing pain and stiffness, the first few repetitions can be challenging, but you should be able to increase your range of motion and flexibility as you progress.
Performing these exercises first thing in the morning can make a big difference in alleviating the morning pain and stiffness associated with arthritis. Arthritis can slow you down, but consistent exercise will keep you moving.
* If you have health or mobility issues that may present problems, consult your physician before commencing exercise activity.
Reactive arthritis can arise quickly and cause havoc to joints and other areas, but you can use exercise to help maintain your quality of life and function.
Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Epoch Health welcomes professional discussion and friendly debate. To submit an opinion piece, please follow these guidelines and submit through our form here.