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Little routines that keep you moving when your joints complain

BaldingGeordie

Knees have been grumbling again lately, so I’ve gone back to something my physio suggested years ago – tiny bits of movement scattered through the day instead of one big “exercise session”.

For me that looks like: a slow lap of the hallway every time I put the kettle on, a few sit-to-stands from my sturdy chair, and stretching my legs while I’m waiting for the microwave to ping. Nothing heroic, but it stops me seizing up.

I find if I call it “keeping myself ticking over” rather than “exercise”, I’m much more likely to do it.

Does anyone else do this sort of thing? I’d love to hear the small routines you’ve built into everyday life to stay as mobile and independent as possible with cranky knees or other aches

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Comments

GalDriver

I do, I do! It's great, isn't it? I do stretches in bed and sat on the edge first thing in the morning. I'm a full-time wheelchair user so it's the last chance to stretch fully straight until bedtime. Then, throughout the day, I'll do hand and arm rotations, neck stretches, waist twists, leg 'marches', ankle rotations etc, etc. Feels good to move even if it is just bits at a time. In fact, little and often, as you say works better than a 'session'.

Great to see I'm not alone. lol 👍️

Rachel_Scope

I'm with you there on the painful knees @BaldingGeordie. I've put my treadmill behind me so I can do 5 mins of walking every hour when I'm at work. Admittedly though it's not getting much use at the minute. I'm going to push myself to do it today!

Littlefatfriend

Absolutely Balding Geordie!

Long before I deserved my first wheelchair the tortoise and the hare taught me that slow and steady wins the race.

When training for marathons and half marathons as a sprog, my dad and I rarely jogged more than 3 miles.

For similar reasons, in the 35 years since I qualified myself for wheeled assistance I've always chosen houses near hills.

For about 5 years I've also had a (Invictus Active) wheelchair treadmill at home which I now find very useful as a means to cardio exercise when I can't be bothered going outside. It's cold sometimes.

I find resistance bands a supremely flexible means to comfortable, steady exercise. Hand grippers are also useful and similarly easy to operate whilst watching the TV, etc.

There are also various bits of equipment available for fine tuning our forearms and enabling heavier duty exercise for specific areas (eg pecs).

All those (apart from the treadmill!) fit in about a square foot of space in my bed. I recommend a good pair of leather gloves when using resistance bands.

In that circumstance my only challenge (as a hairy, slightly reformed Geordie) is motivating myself!

Good luck all

😇

BaldingGeordie

@GalDriver
I really like the way you use those first few minutes in bed as your big stretch for the day – that makes a lot of sense, especially if you’re in your chair the rest of the time. I’m going to steal your ankle rotations and leg “marches”; my physio is always telling me my feet get forgotten. Little and often really does seem to work better than a big “session”, doesn’t it?

Knees in solidarity! Putting the treadmill behind you at work is such a good idea. Even pressing start once or twice in a day would feel like a win to me. I’m trying to pair my slow laps of the hallway with putting the kettle on so it feels more like a habit and less like a chore. @Rachel_Scope

@Littlefatfriend
Love the tortoise and hare story – slow and steady is exactly my speed these days. A wheelchair treadmill sounds like a brilliant bit of kit for when the weather or energy levels aren’t playing ball. Resistance bands are a great shout too; I like the idea of something I can use while I’m parked in my favourite chair. Good tip about the gloves as well, my hands complain almost as much as my knees now.

😊Really appreciate all of you sharing what works for you. Makes this whole “little routines” idea feel a lot less daft when you know other people are doing their own versions too.