Range of Motion Exercises That Helps Fight Joint Stiffness

Joints that move freely, without restriction, pain, or popping, are considered to be healthy. Range of motion refers to the normal amount your joints move. To maintain normal range of motion within these joints, we need to incorporate exercises and stretches to maintain joint flexibility. Neck and back exercises need to be performed three to 10 times for around 15 minutes every day, which will help maintain and improve normal joint range of motion. Most people like to perform these exercises in the morning to help ease joint stiffness.

Head turns are a great way to warm the neck up. I call them the “yes”, “no”, and “maybe” stretches. “Maybe” is simply taking one ear and trying to touch it to the shoulder. Try to perform theses stretches slowly. The next stretch is a shoulder roll or circle. Rotate the shoulders clockwise and then counter clockwise. You can perform this 3-5 times each way. The hardest one for me is the Back Pat and Rub. Reach one arm up to pat your back. Reach the other arm up behind your lower back. Hold for 5 seconds and then alternate arm position. This one will take some practice.

For the lower back, I like to do these before I get out of bed. The first one is the single knee to chest, and hold for 10 seconds and then alternate. I then like to rotate my hips from side to side while keeping my shoulders and feet remaining on the bed. You can also cross one leg over the other to get more of a stretch for the lower back.

The older we get, the stiffer we get. With regular stretches and spinal adjustments or mobilization, joint are more likely to remain healthy and pain free. Dr. Gibson at RTP Chiropractic in Morrisville NC, is highly qualified and an expert in joint health and mobility.