Exercise is what most health specialists recommend for a better health. It reduces the chances of an individual suffering weight related diseases like hypertension, obesity and diabetes. In addition it makes one physically fit and maintains good figure. Lack of exercise can cause joint pain or pains on the parts of the body when you do a straining activity. When pain occurs you may need to exercise to get rid of the pain hence, exercise is a preventive as well as treatment measure for pain.
Exercise is not only for preventing pain and diseases, but also as a tool to build strong muscles and bones. That is why you find most people especially men lifting weights in the gym to build up their body strength.
The following are joint strengthening exercises to avoid pains and injuries:
1. Twist Exercise
This exercise is majorly aimed at strengthening all the involved muscles from the spine to the ankle muscles. Stand with your left leg in forward position bend as you rotate the torso and hold the left knee on the outer part. Pull the left knee towards the center of the body and turn your left shoulder backwards such that the weight is shifted to the left leg.
Once you feel the contraction of the left gluteal muscles, you are on the right track. Repeat this exercise 6 times to make it more effective.
2. Gluteus Muscle Stretch Exercise
The major function of the gluteus muscle is to control rotation of the leg and hip flexion. When this muscle is strengthened through exercise, it makes it more effective in it slowing down leg rotation and hip flexion and hence reduces over-pronation.
What you are required to do is to stand with your legs together and turn out your feet like a duck. Then rotate your legs without tempering with the position of the feet. This will contract gluteus maximus muscle and make the ankles roll out. Repeat this exercise 10 times a day and strengthen gluteus muscle.
Must Read: 6 Reasons Why You Should Do Stretching Before Working Out
3. Knee Bend
This exercise is aimed at strengthening the gluteus medius and minimus muscles to prevent collapsing of the leg as it travels to the center of the body. Lie on the ground with the left side of your body in contact with the ground. Bend your right knee and step on the inner part of the left knee and rotate your pelvis. Lift up the right knee avoiding causing any pain on the moving hips.
Buy a lot of time on this exercise to enable communication with the nervous system. Alternate the side of the body on the ground to make exercise effective on all parts.
4. Hip Flexor Strengthening
Kneel with one of your legs with the other leg in front and your hands are holding you head. Bend forward until you feel muscle contraction on your hip. Remain at the bending position for about 30 seconds then repeat the exercise again and change the leg positions.
This exercise can be used to relief most types of joint pain especially then knee joint.
5. Big Toes Spread
Stand and spread you bigger toe apart such that it is moving in the opposite direction with the second toes on both legs. In this position raise your body such that the entire body weight is almost supported by the two toes. Ensure the bigger toes stay in their spread position and maintain the raised position until you feel muscle contraction under the arch. As you feel the contraction push your body weight so that the big toes dig deeper into the ground.
Repeat this procedure 8 times in a single exercise every day.
6. Stability Ball
I call this stability ball exercise because it calls for you to lie on the stability ball so that you can proceed with the preceding exercise. Balance your body on the stability ball and with your hands and legs on the ground. Use the gluteus muscles to lift your one of your leg off the ground without any pain on the back. Turn the other leg inward and outward repeatedly to activate the glutes then swap the positions of the legs. Repeat this exercise about 10 times on each leg.
7. Ankle Strengthening
Kneel down with one of your legs and use your hands to hold both legs such that the right hand holds the left leg and vice versa. Push the knee which is not kneeling forward and pause in that position for some seconds then roll back to starting position. Repeat the same procedure on both legs severally to reduce knee injuries.
Conclusion
Exercise is something that is essential not only for body health and fitness, but also for strengthening and relieving pain.
