Exercise and Joint Pain: What’s the Connection?

Are exercise and joint pain related? Does exercise increase pain or mitigate it? Seniors Guide writer Terri L. Jones went on a search for answers when her knee was bothering her.

When my arthritic knee started acting up recently, my knee jerk reaction (pun intended!) was to pause my exercise regimen for a while and give my bum knee a rest. I stopped going to my “leg class” at the gym and started shortening my walks with friends. However, I soon found out that inactivity could actually do my aching knee more harm than good.

According to medical professionals, cessation of movement can cause weakness in the muscles around the joints, with this weakness making joints hurt even more. Conversely, regular exercise not only strengthens the muscles around the joints but also lowers your risk of bone loss, helps reduce joint swelling, and even lubricates cartilage, which can minimize stiffness. Working out also helps keep extra weight off, which can be hard on your joints.

Not all exercise is created equal

If you have chronic joint pain, it’s recommended that you stick with low-impact exercise, which increases your heart rate slowly and doesn’t put a lot of stress on your joints. Some examples of low-impact exercise are:

• Walking
• Cycling, especially on a recumbent stationary bike
• Elliptical machine
• Swimming
• Water aerobics
• Tai chi
• Yoga
• Pilates

However, before you start exercising, talk to your doctor about which exercises are right for you. If you have arthritis, the most appropriate exercise will all depend on your type of arthritis and which joints are affected. Your doctor may also refer you to a physical therapist to create an exercise program and help you get started.

How much is too much?

It’s important to start slowly and keep a close eye on how everything feels during exercise and afterward. According to A. Lynn Millar, Ph.D. , a professor of physical therapy at Winston Salem State University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, mild discomfort is common when you first get moving. However, “once you start to move around a little,” she explains, “you’ll improve the lubrication and circulation around that joint.”

If your pain continues for more than two hours after exercising, the Mayo Clinic suggests that you could be overdoing it and may need to modify the exercises you do or reduce the duration or frequency of your workouts. Your healthcare provider can advise you on when persistent pain may be indicating something more than just overworked muscles.

Stop immediately if you experience sharp pain. “Most people with arthritis can work through mild pain safely,” says physical therapist Richard Kassler , supervisor at the Orthopaedic and Sports Therapy Center at New York University Hospital for Joint Diseases, in New York City. “But if you’re experiencing a lot of pain while you exercise, even if you’re not doing a particularly joint-taxing workout, it may be a sign that you have inflammation in the joint, or even joint damage that requires treatment.”

Related: 7 ways to treat arthritis besides medication

Taking it easy on your joints

Check out these tips to help protect your joints during exercise:

• Start with heat. Before you exercise, use a heating pad at a warm temperature or warm towels for about 20 minutes to relax muscles and joints.
• Warm up first. At the beginning of your workout, move joints gently with range-of-motion exercises for five to 10 minutes prior to doing strengthening or cardio exercises.
• Ice afterward. After exercise, use ice on your joints for up to 20 minutes. This is particularly important if your joints are swollen.

Most importantly, listen to your body. “Don’t approach your fitness routine with the idea that you just can’t do something,” advises physical therapist Kari Orlandi, DPT . “Instead, look at moderation and modification.”

Exercise and joint pain: keep moving!

As I initially scaled back my exercise, cutting short my walks with friends, one of my walking buddies, who is over 70 and has bursitis in both hips, was still walking four or five miles, several days a week.

Her mantra, “Just keep moving!” resonated with me. They’re now words to live by for me too!

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