Winston Churchill famously said “If you’re going through a rough or painful time, keep going.” Well, that’s not exactly what he said. You can see the original quote here. But that’s what staying active with joint pain can feel like.
Churchill got it right. Because even though it sounds hard, the best way to keep joint pain to a minimum is to keep on moving. How? Here are some of our top tips.
3 Tips For Staying Active With Joint Pain
Tip #1: Make it routine.
A full-fledged workout might be too much for you – and even if you feel it isn’t, consulting with your doctor before any real exercise regimen is a must. That doesn’t mean you need to turn yourself into a couch potato, though. Instead you can incorporate physical activity into your daily routine by making just a few small changes:
- Walk, don’t ride.Ā Whether you’re in a shopping mall, a doctor’s office or the train station, skip the elevators and escalators and head for the stairs whenever you can. Too many flights? Split it up so you walk some and ride some.
- Use the one-stop-early rule.Ā When you’re riding the bus (or the subway, if the stops aren’t too far apart), get off one stop early and walk the rest of the way. You can do this with taxis, too; just tell the driver to let you off a block or two before your actual destination. That’ll keep you moving andĀ save you half a buck in the process.
- Look for further parking. This is the driver’s variation of the previous tip. When you’re running errands, park at the far end of the parking lot. If you drive to work, park a couple of blocks away from your office.
- Make life difficult. Well, not really. But if there’s a more active way to do something you’re going to be doing anyway, give it a try. Stand while you’re polishing silverware or folding laundry. Walk around while you’re on the phone instead of sitting on the couch. Do stretches while you’re watching TV. You get the idea.
Tip #2: If you can’t find the time, make it.
Life is really, really busy, even if you’ve reached retirement and you’re living in a senior community. So finding the time to do regular physical activity can be a problem. Which is why the second tip for staying active with joint pain is to make the time if it doesn’t appear on its own.
That doesn’t mean you have to hit the gym for an hour every day, or even half an hour. If you’ve been sedentary up until now, try for five minutes a day. That’s equivalent to a little more than the typical commercial break during your favorite show. Take it slowly; just marching in place or doing very light stretches is great. Once you’ve eased into that, you can add more time.
And the time doesn’t have to be consecutive. There’s nothing wrong with doing 5-minute sessions six times a day. Or three 10-minute sessions. You break it up however it works for you. The important thing is to keep moving.
Tip #3: Find a friend.
Any burden becomes easier when it’s shared. If staying active is difficult, find a friend who wants to up their physical activity, too. You’ll be able to encourage each other, commiserate, motivate and – maybe most important – be accountable to each other.
And your exercise buddy can be anyone. Tap your spouse, your first cousin, a granddaughter or great-nephew, or the couple who lives across the hall. It doesn’t need to be someone the same age or even with the same health issues. It just needs to be someone you like spending time with – and who likes spending time with you.
Yes, when you’re suffering from joint pain it’s really tempting to stay in bed or curled up on the couch. Staying active is really hard. But in the long run – and the short run, too – it’s a lot more difficult not to.