Benefit of Exercise: Joint Mobility

No matter what kind of exercise you are interested in, there is no doubt that there are a number of very serious benefits for you. Of course, we all know that weight loss is a major benefit, and it increases the function and health of the cardiovascular system as well. But, it also plays a role in joint health and mobility as well, for a number of reasons.

The Joints in Your Upper Body

Your joints of the upper body will love the benefits of exercise for keeping them supple and more flexible. There are certain structures in the body that are more impacted by stress, especially in the upper body. All of that stress will end up compacted the joints, making them stiff and sore and causing even more stress. It is a vicious cycle, but you can break it if you are willing to work at it.

No matter what type of work you do, the joints in your upper body can make you miserable if they are not at their most mobile. From sitting at a desk, behind a wheel or lifting heavy packages day after day, the upper body has to be mobile or you are miserable for the whole day. Certain types of exercises are better for your upper body than others, including: tennis, yoga, swimming and weight lifting. While most exercises also benefit the rest of the body, these also employ the muscles of the upper back and the arms which in turn keeps the upper body joints, especially the shoulders, supple and mobile.

A special note about the joints of the upper body: one joint that may be missed in most exercises is the wrist. There are a number of forearm stretches that can be very good not only for the wrist flexors but for the wrist itself. Keeping this area supple is crucial to preventing carpal tunnel syndrome or at least reducing some of the pain that is felt from it.

The Joints of the Lower Body

If you were to ask an expert or someone who is in physical pain which joint of the body is the most likely to cause a problem, the knee would most likely be the answer. The knee is vital to all movement of the lower leg- and while it is an incredible structure, it can often be moved in the wrong direction, dislocated, sprained, strained or otherwise overworked.

The knee, for all its brilliant design was not meant to handle the strain of a lot of excess weight, however. The more that you weigh over your suggested weight, the more likely you are to cause some very serious issues with the knee.

For some people, knee pain can be enough of a reason to lessen their workout routine or to quit completely thinking that they need to rest the knee. With only a few exceptions, that rest can actually make the knee worse than exercise would. The key is to be kind to your knee, even during exercise. If something causes very intense pain, then back off and do something else but whatever you do, do not just stop doing everything.

Knee replacement surgeries are one of the most commonly done procedures performed by orthopedic surgeons but one that most agree could be avoided altogether in most cases. Knee injuries usually occur in one of two ways: because of too much weight and strain on them or because of certain movements during higher impact exercises. The more forcefully you exercise, the more people involved in the exercise you choose, the more likely you are to end up with a knee injury that may eventually lead to a need for knee surgery.

Walking is one of the best exercises that you can do to prevent injuries to the knee and is likely to be the first one that you are allowed to do when you are recovering from strains or surgery. Even people who have had knee replacement surgery will be directed to start walking as part of their recovery process.

A Beneficial Exercise for Every Joint in the Body

One of the most beneficial exercises for every joint in the body is swimming. Even if you do not know how to swim, you can get the benefits by walking in the water, or taking a water aerobics class. The water removes the stress on the joints by taking all of the impact off, of them. Being in the pool is relaxing and can also allow for greater range of motion. If walking down the street or on a treadmill hurts, you are less likely to do it again and you certainly won’t increase your time or distance.

Other Beneficial Workouts

Yoga is another exercise that may play a role in the health and mobility of your joints by helping to stretch and elongate the connective tissues, ligaments and muscles. If the muscles that are near the joint are strong and flexible, they hold the joint in place much better which in turn protects against injury.

Yoga can also help you by illuminating your weaknesses. For instance, if you are trying a side arm balance and find that you can do it perfectly on the right side but fail on the left, you will know that you have issues with the left shoulder. The more that you practice, the more aware you will be of your body.

A warning about yoga and joint mobility: there are some people who are just never going to be very flexible so it is important to remain aware and back off when the discomfort becomes real pain. The goal in yoga is to breathe and to feel something, not to cause full on pain.

Back to Walking

As previously mentioned, walking is often one of the first exercises that are allowed after a surgery of any kind has been completed. To prevent re-injury make sure that you are wearing supportive shoes and paying careful attention to how your body feels.