Answer aches and paints with this movement daily, said multiple MDs and physical therapy experts.
Stiff knees. Sore hips. Shoulders that don’t quite move with the same range they used to. For many of us, joint discomfort seems to creep in over time, and it can feel hard to tell what to do about it. Should you stretch more? Lift weights? Rest in hopes things don’t get worse?
While our joints experience some natural age-related changes, experts say that feeling stiff doesn’t have to be an unavoidable part of getting older. Below, we asked physical therapists, orthopedic surgeons, and movement specialists for their top advice to keep aging joints healthy—and they all pointed to the same key strategy. See which you already practice, and talk to your doctor about adopting others.
About the experts
|
The no. 1 exercise for aging joints, according to movement experts
The good news is that you don’t need fancy new equipment or a complicated 10-step gym routine. According to our experts, the best way to keep your joints healthy as you age is to practice functional movement—in other words, natural, everyday movement patterns that encourage your joints to move in the way they’re supposed to.
“Joints are designed to glide, and they stay nourished when you use them,” says Gbolahan Okubadejo, MD, FAAOS, a New York City-based spinal and orthopedic surgeon.
On the other hand, underuse can cause joints to stiffen up. Over time, the joints’ lubricating synovial fluid decreases, ligaments and tendons lose elasticity, and cartilage can break down, explains Shane Davis, MD, a non-operative sports medicine physician at Tufts Medical Center. On top of that, age-related muscle loss (known as sarcopenia) means joints can lose some of the support they need to absorb impact and stabilize movement.
Dr. Okubadejo explains that functional movement can help counteract these changes by:
-
Increasing blood flow, delivering nutrients to the tissues around your joints.
-
Maintaining a natural range of motion.
-
Strengthening the joints’ stabilizing muscles.
-
Preventing protective cartilage from wearing down too quickly.
So, what exactly does functional movement look like? The experts share their go-to exercises to keep your joints strong and resilient.
Walk every day
When experts talk about functional movement, daily walking is the first example they give. “It keeps the supporting muscles strong, maintains cartilage nutrition, and prevents the stiffness that creeps in when people sit for long periods,” Dr. Okubadejo says.
Margaret Danilovich, PT, DPT, PhD, a doctor of physical therapy who’s led multiple National Institutes of Health (NIH) studies on reducing frailty in older adults, adds that effort matters, too. “I have data on how the level of walking intensity significantly improves physical function in aging, even for those who have frailty,” she says. “It really is simple: walk, and walk at a pace that challenges yourself.”
Make compound movements a part of daily life
“Compound movements generally mimic functional, everyday activities and promote the strength, mobility, balance, and coordination needed to accomplish these activities,” says Lindy Royer, PT, a physical therapist and Balanced Body educator. “Unless we train specifically for function, we lose the ability to perform complex movements as we age.”
And there are opportunities to practice these simple, multi-joint movements as you go throughout your day. “For example, take the stairs, and make it varied by hopping, taking two or three steps at once, or even crawling on all fours,” says Christiane Figura, a certified trainer and natural movement expert. Other ways to incorporate compound movements into daily life could look like:
-
Sitting and standing up from a chair five times before settling in.
-
Practicing reaching overhead by putting away items one at a time.
-
Doing wall pushups while waiting for your coffee to brew.
-
Walking in a lunge pattern as you’re tidying your house.
Squat to the floor and get back up
“It may be surprising, but my first and most important suggestion would be to relearn the deep squat and the controlled process of sitting down and standing up from the floor, as we all did so naturally as young children,” Figura says. “Sitting on the floor from a deep squat not only restores the lost biomechanics of the spine but also the entire movement system that has been lost due to prolonged sitting in chairs.”
This movement combines strength, mobility, coordination, and balance—key ingredients for staying independent and reducing the risk of falls with age. Experts recommend starting by using handrails, a sturdy chair, or other props for support, working towards lowering yourself closer to the floor and standing back up with greater control.
Add some gentle strength training
Some people worry that strength training will worsen joint pain, but experts say the opposite is often true. “I’m not speaking about hardcore gym stuff,” says Mikel Daniels, DPM, MBA, a board-certified podiatrist. Low-impact strengthening—using bodyweight, resistance bands, or light weights—gently loads your joints as they move through their full range.
“When you regularly use your muscles, they act like ‘shock absorbers’ for your joints, taking pressure off cartilage and stabilizing things so the joints keep moving and stay limber,” he says.
Practice your full range of motion
“Every day, bend what bends,” Dr. Daniels says. “That means gently moving all your major joints through their range.” Gentle mobility work helps joints move through their full, usable range—making everyday tasks easier and reducing the risk of compensation-related pain elsewhere in the body.
“I tell my patients to think of a simple ‘joint hygiene’ ritual rather than a big workout,” Dr. Daniels says. “It’s like brushing teeth or washing hair.” He recommends taking five to ten minutes daily to do slow, controlled mobility exercises for hips, knees, ankles, shoulders, and spine, such as:
-
Gentle lunges
-
Deep squats to your comfort
-
Cat-cow yoga poses
-
Arm circles
-
Hip circles
Is it ever too late to develop healthier joints?
Though Dr. Davis notes that people with stiffer, more painful joints may need to ease in more gradually, he says that it’s never too late to start because “exercise can always be beneficial for joint health.”
Adds Dr. Okubadejo: “The benefits add up, no matter when you begin.”
Most guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes a week of moderate activity—like brisk walking—along with two or more days of strength work, Dr. Daniels says. “This pattern is strongly linked to better joint health and less arthritis-related disability.” But he emphasizes that you don’t have to hit those numbers perfectly to benefit.
“Doing is what is most important,” he says. “Even short bouts, like 10 to 15 minutes at a time, still help maintain strength and range of motion as you age.” Joints are adaptable at any age, he says, and the most effective way to care for them is to keep moving in ways that support real life. “The real magic is consistency—a little bit, over and over, beats heroic workouts followed by long couch stretches, every time.”
For daily wellness updates, subscribe to The Healthy newsletter and follow The Healthy on Facebook and Instagram. Keep reading:
