What are Joints and How Do You Exercise Them?

Every time you sprint to catch the bus, score a point against your opposing team, or shoot pool with friends, you’re using your extremely functional musculoskeletal system. This means a combination of bones, joints and muscles get you going where you want to go.

But muscles and bones don’t work alone. Instead there are joints that link these together. While bones support your body’s entire weight, your muscles pull your bones as you move. Joints are the connecting links that put both bones and muscles in motion.

Given the important functions of mobility and movement, it becomes crucial that you take good care of your joints. After all, you put them through so much wear and tear throughout your life.

Joints that aren’t well taken care of become susceptible to injury, inflammation and general dislocation. As age catches up with you, you can feel the effects of overuse weathering away your joints. So keep your joints healthy at every stage of your life so they can keep you moving even in old age.

But before we look at ways to do so, here’s a quick look at the anatomy of a joint so you can better understand what goes into keeping your joints healthy.

WHAT ARE JOINTS?

Imagine if the skeleton had only one solid bone. That would make it very difficult to move. So instead nature solved this problem by dividing the skeleton into many bones, and creating joints where the bones intersect.

Joints are also known as articulations forming strong connections that join bones, teeth, and cartilage to one another. Now you have the freedom of movement in different ways and directions.

Some joints open and close like a hinge such as your knees and elbows, allowing you to straighten or bend your legs and arms. You sit down, stand up, pick up, and put down stuff using these joints without giving it a second thought.

Others joints are meant for more complicated movements such as your shoulder or hip joint. These allow for forward, backward, sideways, and rotating movements. Just think of everything you can do with these joints and you’ll get an idea of how limited your movement can become if any of these joints suffer damage.

But not all joints are created equal. For instance, while joints like the knees provide stability, others like the wrist, ankles, and hips let you move, glide, skip, or run.

And just as their functions vary, so does their anatomy. Which means that you also need to take care of them in specific ways.

Some joints are purely made of tough collagen fibre while others have cartilage binding bones together. Yet others have something known as synovial fluid in between cartilage pads at the end of articulating bones.

So while you may think that all joints can be maintained using the same methods, you may need to rethink your joint-health strategy. Let’s first take a look at the different types of joints found in the body before discussing how to take care of them.

TYPES OF JOINTS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS.

Each joint is specialiSed in its shape and structure to control the range of motion between the parts it connects.

For easier understanding, you may classify joints based on the function they perform or how much movement they allow. You can also do the same based on the structure of the joint, or the material that is present in the joint. This means looking at how the bones are attached to one another.

Both categories will let you divide joints into three broad classes:

Immovable or fixed joints. These are typically fibrous joints that are held together by dense fibrous connective tissue. Think about the bony plates of the skull to get an idea. There are links or joints between the edges of these plates made of fibrous tissue. The point is to make them immovable to protect the brain.

Slightly movable or cartilaginous joints. Here bones are held together by cartilage and allow for some degree of movement. An example could be the spine where each vertebra is linked by cartilage. With this arrangement, every vertebra moves in relation to the one above or below it, giving the spine its flexibility. This lets you bend forward, backward, or sideways without straining your back.

Freely movable or synovial joints. This third type is the most abundantly found type in the body. Here, joints have a synovial cavity that contains a fluid. This synovial fluid lubricates the area and helps the joints move easily.

This type of joint allows the greatest range of movement letting you propel yourself in just about any direction. Examples include your elbows, knees, hips, and shoulders among others.

Synovial joints can further be divided into 6 types including the following:

• Hinge joints such as the fingers and toes

• Ball and socket joints such as the shoulders and hips

• Pivot joints such as the neck

• Gliding joints such as the wrist

• Saddle joints such as the thumb

• Planar joints such as the ankle

HEALTHY V PAINFUL JOINTS.

Unlike many other health conditions, where it’s not always possible to detect early warning signs of wear and tear, your joints are a different story. In fact, one of the first places where you feel your age is in your joints.

In most cases, joint issues generally develop over time and can make it hard for you to get around in everyday life. When things are going well, you won’t feel any discomfort or pain, but if your joints start to give way, you may experience some of the symptoms discussed here.

The foremost among these is experiencing joint pain. This may mean you’re exerting your joints too much or that you’ve already worn them out a fair bit.

If your joints become sore or tender to touch, it could indicate possible (internal) inflammation. Remember that inflammation isn’t always visible to the eye and may continue for a while internally before symptoms become apparent externally.

Likewise, if you experience slow mobility and movement because your joints hurt, consider it another red flag. And if your joints offer little flexibility with a reduced range of motion, you may want to get a professional’s opinion.

Another tell-tale sign of joint-health deterioration is creaking joints. If you hear clicking, creaking, or cracking sounds, or feel that your joints grate every time you move, you should become concerned about possible joint damage.

Plus, you should also be ware of your joint health if you happen to be overweight. Among other things, excessive weight is also associated with increased inflammation, a leading cause of joint discomfort.

If your work involves taxing your joints, such as lifting heavy objects, or even sitting for prolonged periods, you can start to develop joint issues as well. And finally, if you have family history of joint issues in the past, you may be more susceptible to developing certain joint-related conditions.

EXERCISE YOUR JOINTS.

To prevent joint damage and increase joint strength, exercise is very important. To preserve your joint health, you need to work on certain aspects of exercise that will keep your joints mobile, and minimise damage brought on by age or other factors. Here’s what you need to keep in mind when doing so.

Work for Flexibility and Range of Motion

The range of motion of a joint refers to the positions in which the joints can move. Joints prone to damage will reduce the range of motion and joint mobility. As such you need to follow an exercise program with three important components; endurance training, range of motion, and strengthening exercises. These exercises will help prevent the joint from any future damage or degradation.

Exercises help to maintain optimum joint movement and increase flexibility. When you work out, your weight is also kept in check which further contributes to reducing the risks associated with arthritis and other joint-related conditions.

Flexibility exercises keep the cartilage strong and increase cushioning for the bones. Flexibility exercises are stretches that help increase elasticity of muscles while range of motion workouts lower the stiffness in joints.

An easy stretching exercise is stretching your legs while you are in bed. Patients of rheumatoid arthritis cannot get out of bed in the morning due to RA flares. They can get rid of them by performing leg stretches for 10 minutes.

In a hamstring stretch, you have to sit up and extend your right leg in front of you. Bend the other leg and keep your left food on the bed. Now, slide your hands on the right side and you will feel a stretch in the backside of your leg. Hold this position for 30 seconds to a minute and then do the same on the left leg.

STRENGTHEN YOUR CORE.

You may not want to be too obsessed with getting a six pack while you suffer from joint immobility, but core exercises are important nevertheless. Abdominal and back strength are important for doing daily chores like lifting a grocery bag or sitting on your desk for working.

A very easy exercise for strengthening your core is the Knee Fold Tuck. For this exercise, sit on the floor and bend your knees. Keep a ball between your legs and squeeze it. Lift your knees until the shins and floor are parallel to each other. Then, start pulling your knees towards your shoulders and take them back to original position. Do this 10 to 15 times.

Climbing Rope is another strengthening exercise in which you have to sit with your legs extended. Your feet must be in a V position. Roll your spine in a C shape and then lift your arms. Your arms must mimic the motion of climbing a rope. As you reach, twist your body slightly. Do a total of 40 reaches with 20 of each arm. This will help keep your back and abdomen strong. It will also increase your arm strength and increase flexibility.

Planks are the best exercises for your core. They tighten the abdominal muscles and keep your back strong. Get into plank position and tighten your abs. Pull your right knee in and rotate is clockwise first and then counter clockwise. Do the same with the leg knee. Repeat the same step five times on both knees.

VARIETY IS KEY.

Variety is the key when it comes to exercises. You must have diversity in your workouts so that all parts of the body get equal benefits. There are five elements of fitness; stretching, balance training, core exercises, aerobic exercises and strength training. If you’re working out on a daily basis, you might get comfortable with one exercise and get into a habit of doing the same one every day. This might keep you comfortable but won’t benefit you much.

When you do the same thing every day, your body gets used to it and it’s no longer a challenge for your muscular or nervous system. It takes your body about six to eight weeks to get accustomed to a work out. After that, it no longer remains a challenge for the body to perform this exercise.

So, you need to bring some variety into your exercise routine to get added benefits. Same goes for joint exercises. If you keep working the same joint out, it can undergo degradation too. This, in itself, becomes a kind of overuse for the same joints so you need a well- tailored exercise plan that includes all joints.

JOINT SPECIFIC EXERCISES.

Here’s a rundown of some specific exercises focused on specific joint or parts.

The easiest exercise for the neck is to slowly drop your neck until your chin reaches the chest level. Keep the neck in this position for 5 to 10 seconds and then return to the original position. Tilt your head slightly back and remain in this position for 10 seconds. Do this stretch five times in each direction. It will help increase flexibility in the region and increase movement.

Another exercise is to sit in a chair in a good posture and rotate your neck. Firstly, turn your head to the right side and remain in this position for 10 seconds, then go back to the centre and turn to the left. Hold the position in both sides for 10 seconds. You’ll feel your neck muscles relax, relieve some tension while your joints in the area benefit too.

SHOULDERS.

To prevent or minimiSe shoulder pain, try the arm across chest stretch. Holding you right arm out, take it across your chest to the left. Place your left hand just behind your right elbow and give your right arm a gentle stretch. Hold for 10 seconds. The point is to stretch your arm across the chest without feeling pain. Repeat on other side.

Another exercise is the chest expansion where you stand in a good posture and hold an exercise band. Now, take your arms back until your shoulder blades touch and hold the position for 5 to 10 seconds. Repeat 5-6 times to strengthen shoulders or relieve shoulder pain. The same will also help increase flexibility in the region.

BACK.

Pelvic Tilt is a back exercise in which you have to lie on the floor and bend your knees. Then, keeping your arms at your side, tighten your abdominal muscles. Do not use your butts or legs to sink your abdomen towards the spine. You will feel your pelvis moving up but not leaving the floor. Stay in this position for 5 seconds and then relax. Do 10 reps.

HANDS AND WRISTS.

An easy exercise is to make a fist. Slowly, bend your hand and keep your thumb on the outside. Open the hand again and straighten the fingers. Repeat for a minute or two with each hand.

Another exercise is to keep your hand open straight and then bend your thumb. Bend all your fingers towards the palm, one by one, and hold in that position for a few seconds. Do the same on the left hand.

KNEES.

Lie on the floor and bend both your legs. Lift one leg and bring your knee towards the chest. Keep your hands linked behind your thigh and slowly straighten the leg. Now, pull your straightened leg backwards and you will feel a stretch. Remain in this position for 30 seconds.

You can also do a half squat, in which you stand straight and then bend your knees to reach a half-sitting position. In leg stretch, sit with both legs straight in front of you on the floor or bed and bend one knee. Once you feel the stretch, hold in that position for 10 seconds and then straighten your leg slowly.

Be especially careful when performing knee exercises to maintain proper balance, if your knees are not up to doing squats and lunges, skip these for easier exercises.

Look after your joints and they’ll look after you!