Range of motion exercises8/11/2023 ![]() ![]() Leg Raises: Hold on to the back of a countertop or chair for support with your right hand. You may want to lean on a sturdy countertop or desk for support. Glute Kicks: While standing, bend your knee and try to bring your heel to touch your glutes (butt muscle). If you have knee pain, you will not be able to get to that straight line right away it’s something you will aim to work up to over time. Straighten your leg, aiming to get your foot in line with your knee so your leg makes a straight line parallel to the floor. Then raise one leg out as though you were trying to kick a ball. If seated, keep both feet flat on the floor. Knee Range-of-Motion Exercisesīall Kicks: You can do this either sitting or standing, depending on your comfort level. Then pretend as though you’re stepping on a gas pedal, pushing your toes down and bringing your heels off the ground.Īnkle Circles: While seated, move your ankle slowly in clockwise circles, as though there’s a pencil between your toes and you’re trying to write the letter “O.” Then go the opposite way and make counterclockwise circles. When seated, maintain good posture with your feet on the floor. Plantar Flexion: This is the opposite range of motion from dorsiflexion. Go slowly, trying to get your toes as high as possible while your heels are firmly planted on the ground. Then try to raise your toes up toward your shins. Ankle Range-of-Motion Exercisesĭorsiflexion: When seated, maintain good posture and keep your heels on the ground. You can do one foot at a time or both feet at the same time. Slowly, curl all your toes in toward the sole of your foot, then extend them out toward the ceiling. ![]() Toe curls: You can do this simple exercise firs thing in the morning while you’re still lying in bed. Many of these are simple enough to do in bed or seated in a chair. Gagliardi recommends “working up the kinetic chain” - so starting from your feet and working your way up the body. ![]() Some muscle achiness or discomfort is normal, especially if you’re not used to doing these exercises, but the pain shouldn’t feel sharp or severe.įinally, it’s always a good idea to ask your doctor about any new exercise routine before you begin to make sure it’s right for your personal needs. If you’re doing something that causes pain, stop. Aim to feel a slight stretch, but don’t overdo it. Make sure to move slowly and deliberately. If you have a certain joint that’s in a lot of pain, you may want to avoid range-of-motion exercises for a day or two until the acute pain subsides ask your doctor for the best way to handle your specific situation.Īs a general rule, do each exercise three to 10 times, though you can certainly modify this for your needs. The following exercises are a good head-to-toe routine, but you don’t have to do every single exercise every single time. These exercises can be a great way to help relieve some of the stiffness and pain you feel after you’re still for long periods, such as in the morning after you wake up or after you’ve been sitting at your desk at work. It’s important to do some range-of-motion exercises every day if you have arthritis. When and How Often to Do Range-of-Motion Exercises But the more regularly you do them, the less stiff your joints will feel over time. During range-of-motion exercises, you can gently move your joints as far as they can go. Range-of-motion exercises are ideal for arthritis patients because you can evolve them as your joints get stronger and more flexible. But not moving the joint at all creates a vicious cycle that leads to more pain and stiffness over time. People with arthritis have trouble achieving a full range of motion in certain joints because of the inflammation, pain, and stiffness they feel. “A range of motion exercise means aiming to get the normal amount of movement you should have within a joint,” says Chris Gagliardi, an American Council of Exercise (ACE) certified personal trainer and ACE Resource Center manager. One solution: Learn a routine of basic range-of-motion exercises you can do every day even when you’re experiencing an arthritis flare. When you’re experiencing arthritis pain, the last thing you want to do is lace up sneakers (sometimes, even the thought of tying shoelaces can be excruciating) and exercise, but you’ve heard over and over again how beneficial exercise is for arthritis. ![]()
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