As we move into spring and summer’s warmer months, it’s the perfect time to head outdoors and get some fresh air. But if you’re one of the many people in the UK who are living with osteoarthritis or joint pain, the idea of walking could sound a little less appealing – or perhaps even quite painful.
The surprising truth is that walking can be one of the best things you do for your joints, and even lower the amount of pain and discomfort you feel in your day-to-day life! This one activity can improve your life by making everyday tasks easier, brightening your mood, and strengthening your relationships with others, as well as your joints.
1. Walking is gentle on joints
Walking can be a good way of exercising even with osteoarthritis, because it’s easy on sore joints. It’s gentle and low impact, allowing you to stay active without giving your body the extra stress caused by high-impact activities like running or jumping (though it is worth noting that some higher impact activities like running can have an overall positive effect on your joints when done correctly). If you have comfortable, supportive footwear and a flat walking surface, it can be really beneficial for your health and happiness.
2. Walking builds muscle support
Walking can help to build strength in the muscles surrounding your joints, offering better support and stability and removing some of the pressure from the joints themselves. As you get stronger, you may find that it’s easier and less painful to complete your regular activities.
Mardi Johnson, 50, suffers from knee osteoarthritis and says, “it was hard when I started exercising regularly to strengthen my joints, but building muscle has helped with the pain, and it’s a lot easier now”.
3. Supporting joint health and lubrication
Walking and other forms of exercise help increase circulation, helping your joints get the nutrients they need to function properly. It helps promote the flow of synovial fluid, which is a fluid found in many of your joints that acts as a lubricant, cushioning your bones against one another and easing movement.
4. Improves flexibility and movement
As you walk more and strengthen your joints, you’ll also improve your flexibility. You’ll begin to find it easier to go about your daily tasks comfortably as it becomes less painful to move and bend. Making sure that you stretch before undertaking any exercise can help with flexibility as well, decreasing the pressure on your joints and getting you moving more smoothly and comfortably.
5. Helps manage weight and pressure on joints
Extra body weight means more pressure on your joints, knees, hips, and lower back. Walking can be a really important and effective way of managing your weight, which reduces the strain on those joints and even slows down the progression of osteoarthritis and other conditions that can be improved with weight loss, including high blood pressure and the risk of a heart attack.
6. Supports mental health and happiness
Chronic pain of any kind can carry a very negative impact on your mental health, and joint pain is no exception. When it’s difficult to move and carry out your regular activities comfortably and confidently, it’s not uncommon to struggle with a low mood and low motivation. Walking can help with this, though! Walking and other forms of exercise release endorphins and can help to lower stress and anxiety.
7. Walking can help you stay social
When you’re dealing with joint pain, it’s also normal if your instinct is to isolate yourself. It can be so stressful moving about in the world and interacting with others when you’re in pain. Walking with others can be a great way to spend time with friends and family and enjoy the benefits of regular exercise. Invite someone you’d like to catch up with on a walk, or maybe even join a walking group (there are hundreds of groups all around the UK)! This is a lovely way of strengthening the friendships and relationships in your life, but it’s also a way to boost the mood-lifting properties of a good walk and turn exercise into something you can look forward to.
If the pain makes it difficult to get out there, you can always start small. Some light stretching before a short walk can be a good place to start, and it’s alright if you need frequent breaks. The goal is to get stronger and feel better, not to add additional strain!
If you need a little bit of relief from the pain before you get going, FlexiSEQ lubricates the cartilage in joints to relieve pain and stiffness and improve impaired joint function associated with all stages of osteoarthritis.
