Painful joints are neither common nor rare. It can happen to everyone; signs of aging, athletes, and normal people. Joints hurt not because you’re infected by a disease, it hurts because there is damage done to that specific joint. Moreover, it can be the cause of not being able to move normally and effectively. This is why people who sit down in an office tend to feel the need to stretch their muscles and joints out when they have the chance.
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Between 15 to 20% of men endure knee pain; about 20% of women do. In addition to knee pain, people are constantly dealing with hip and foot pain as well. Having these types of pain can cause inconvenience and annoyance for a specific person in a day. Are you one of those? Are you afraid that you’re having painful joints in your early stages adulthood? Fear not because in this article, we will be discussing different exercises to help you relieve that pain you’re feeling.
Can painful joints be a sign of c****r?
Let’s try and talk about this one bit. Although feeling pain in the joints is normal, this can be an alarming thing, too. Still, bone pain is a classic symptom of bone c****r. It’s often worse at night or when you’re active. Always remember that symptoms can be similar to other conditions, like arthritis. If a t***r is near your bone, you will notice swelling as well.
In conclusion, it’s not always c****r. It can be a different type of thing you’re up against. However, be cautious and careful. If you feel that the pain is not bearing any normal circumstances, go and seek help from your medical practitioner right away.
What exercises can help with these types of body pain?
Although these are not deemed 100% effective, it somehow lessens the episodes and gives ease and comfortability than you just sitting and resting all day. Here are exercises that can help you with painful joints as an alternative to taking medicine.
Step-ups
Doing step-ups is an exercise that can put stain on your knees so people should do this exercise slowly and surely. Doing this incorrectly can add to the inconvenience of the pain you’re experiencing so ensure that you do it correctly.
How to do this exercise?
- Start by placing a foot on a step bench or a step in the lowest step in a staircase;
- Keeping your pelvis level, lift your body up so the other leg is at level with the leg/foot on the bench/staircase;
- Slowly lower the raised leg;
- Repeat 5-10 times and do the other leg after.
Read: This Is What Happens To Your Body When You Start Walking More
Wall squats
This exercise is an exercise that you can do anywhere as long as there’s a clean wall. This exercise can strengthen your knee if you feel that your knees are short of power and balance. Although this exercise seems simple, it can have drastic effects to your body strength and core endurance.
How to do this exercise?
- Stand with your back against the wall with your feet shoulder-width apart;
- Bend your knees slowly and get to the lowest point your body can endure;
- If you feel any pain, stand up and take a break;
- Hold your position for about 10-15 seconds;
- Repeat for 10-15 times.
Heel Roller/Pumper
You may have seen this as a treatment for a sprained ankle, a sore heel, or a painful joint. This actually can be a very effective exercise to erase the pain you’re feeling from your feet. The heel pumper is another variation of the heel roller which can release the tension and pressure in the heels of our feet. Jillian Michals, a well-known personal trainer suggests this to people who feel pain in the balls of their feet.
How to do this exercise?
Hell Roller:
- Sit with your back straight; be comfortable;
- Place a bottle or a tennis ball under your foot;
- Slowly roll it back and forth;
- It would be helpful if the bottle or ball is slightly hot/warm. This way, if you have a painful heel/sprained ankle, you will feel the pain be released from your feet.
Heel Pumper:
- Sit on the bottom step of a set of stairs or a step bench and place a tennis ball under the heel of each foot;
- Begin using body weight to create resistance by leaning your forearms on your knees;
- Once you’ve done that, pump your heels up and down on the tennis balls;
- Do this exercise for two minutes. You’ll notice the tension being released by walking around.
Wall push
The wall push exercise is an effective form of exercise to deal with foot pain. According to the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, doing this exercise can be great for both the foot and the knees.
How to do this exercise?
- Start by facing a wall, place both hands on the wall as if you’re going to push it;
- Ensure that your arms are at shoulder height;
- Place on foot close the wall (about 30-40cm);
- Now, bend the knee in front whilst keeping the one on the back straight;
- Hold this for 10-15 seconds and do the same on the other foot;
- Repeat about 3-5 times for both feet.
Seated leg-to-chest
This exercise can stretch your thighs in connection to your knees, your hips, and your lower back. Furthermore, this can be done both at home and while you’re in the office.
How to do this exercise?
- Start by sitting comfortably in a chair. It would be recommended that the chair doesn’t have wheels;
- Next, lift one leg up while hugging that specific leg squeezing it closer to the chest, keep your back straight;
- Once it touches your chest, hold it for about 5-10 seconds;
- Do the same for the other leg and repeat the process 5 times for each leg.
These exercises can seem a bit simple but, it actually serves an important purpose. Imagine, sitting in a chair all day, in your car, you’re sitting down, when you go home, you sit down and lie down to rest. Imagine these things happening every single day, would you think these actions are helpful for your health?
What benefits do these exercises give me?
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- They can strengthen muscles and joints and improve flexibility;
- These exercises can be done anywhere and anytime without any equipment or whatsoever;
- Simple exercises that don’t actually consume too much time. A good 30 minutes to 45 minutes a day would do; and
- These exercises can help bring back the normal states of the joints you’re having trouble with.
Doing these exercises won’t just improve the conditions of your joints, you will also be able to enjoy a healthier life than you’ve had before.
