Since the menopause I suffer from more painful stiff joints. In addition, my knee suffered a blow during a skiing accident last year and that made my knee joint even stiffer than it already was. Because I was no longer allowed to run and Crossfit was at least temporarily on hold with the rehabilitation, something else had to be done to make my joints more flexible.
I talked to the physiotherapist about my stiff joints and she gave me the necessary tips to become more flexible again.
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One suffers more from it than the other, from stiff joints. Since my mother suffered from rheumatism, I am reasonably attentive to my joints. I clearly notice that they have become less flexible in recent years. Recently I found out that the transition can also play a role in this. Well great.
You probably know that exercise is good for stiff joints. The longer you sit or lie still, the stiffer you become. For example, in the morning the joints in my hands are also stiffer than during the day. Not to mention my knee. For a few months now, the pain from my knee has completely disappeared and I am very consciously working on making my joints more flexible. I do the following for that:
Since running is no longer an option, I started walking. Yes, I sometimes feel like an old woman (not only because of the stiff joints, but also because of the walking), but I actually enjoy it a lot. Of course the dog comes along and with a bit of luck I start the morning with an hour of walking. Good for my joints that become less stiff as a result, but also good for my head!
I don't do it enough, but a nice warm bath is also very good for stiff joints. Now we don't have a bath in the bathroom, but we do have a jaccuzzi in the garden, I can warm up my muscles and joints in that too, of course. Note to myself:I should do that more.
It may sound strange, but I really try to vary the movement in my work. When I get out of bed in the morning, I have stiff joints in my hands. Typing makes it a bit better, but I'm not quite there yet. So I try to rest very consistently while typing and then stretch my hands open and clenched them into a fist again. By repeating this a number of times at least every half hour, I ensure that my hands become less stiff.
This does not apply to the joints in my hands, but the physiotherapist instructed me to do light strength exercises. Especially for my knee. To reduce the stiffness of my knee, for example, I do squats and to 'weight up' that a bit, I regularly use a sandbag. By the way, not only good for stiff joints, also good for a tight buttocks 😉 .
This tip did not come from my physio, but from a crossfit trainer. He recommended
Curcumin forte from Flinndal to try. Turmeric turns out to be very beneficial for flexible muscles, but to do that every day in large quantities through food I also find something. With supplements I can still add that and give my joints a helping hand. Glucosamine should also be good for making your joints more flexible.
I've had an elliptical trainer at home for a while (I have to tell you quite a thing) that I'm very happy with. They call it the MAX Trainer M7. There are quite a few bells and whistles that I have yet to discover, but at least there is an interval workout that is very good for my body. For two reasons:
You understand that I regularly use this as an excuse to tackle my stiff joints, right? By the way, it's not just an excuse, it actually works. Actually I would like to go to the sauna every month, but unfortunately that is not possible. Since heat is good for your muscles and joints, the (infrared) sauna is a gift for your body. And for your relationship. Just relaxing together, wonderful!
