When suffering from painful joint pain, flexing and exercising may seem like an undesirable task. Joint pain, often referred to as arthritis, can result from the inflammation of the tissue surrounding the joint. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, a common type of joint pain, defined as osteoporosis, results from the degeneration of your joint's cartilage. Utilizing a few simple flexing and stretching techniques will help to minimize your joint pain during physical activities.
Step 1
Apply a heat pad or a warm towel to your painful joints for 20 minutes prior to beginning your flexes and exercises. Place your yoga mat onto a carpeted surface. Remove your shoes and stand barefoot in the middle of your yoga mat. Perform range of motion exercises to slowly loosen your painful or tightened joints.
Step 2
Extend your arms to make them parallel with the floor. Rotate your arms forward in a slow circular motion. Increase the size of the circles to gain a full range of motion. Roll your shoulders forwards and backwards slowly. Repeat the shoulder rolling motion from backwards to forwards.
Step 3
Lower yourself to sit in the middle of your yoga mat. Extend your legs forward with your toes pointing towards the ceiling. Lean forwards and attempt to touch your toes with the tips of your finger. Increase the length of your stretch slowly until you can touch your toes. Rotate your body to lay flat on your stomach.
Step 4
Place the tops of your feet flat against your padded yoga mat. Lower the palms of your hands to rest on either side of your waist. Inhale deeply while lifting your chest off of the yoga mat with your hands. Arch your back while lifting your head to look at the ceiling.
Step 5
Exhale as your reach the climax of your stretch. Perform this yoga pose, known as the cobra pose, to flex the muscles in your lower back. Utilize your local swimming pool to execute a series of low impact flexes. Swim slowly with your body submerged under the water to ease the pain in your joints.
Things You'll Need
- Heat pad or warm towel
- Yoga mat
- Swimming pool
