Joint exercise to increase flexibility

Have you ever felt tense and stiff muscles while stretching? Adam Rivadeneyra, MD, a sports doctor at the Hoag Orthopedic Institute and Orthopedic Specialty Institute, California, states that stiff joints will make the body unable to move freely for activities. Even moving would be painful. This is a sign that you need to move more so that the joints in your body become more flexible. What are the best types of joint exercises?

Various types of joint exercises to increase flexibility

The following are various joint exercises that you can practice at home, namely:

1. Shoulder pass through

Source: Healthline

Stretching your shoulders before exercise helps improve your posture and prevent injury. This one exercise involves several muscles such as the chest, upper back, front shoulder muscles, and rotator cuff muscles (shoulder stabilizer). To do this exercise, you will need a broom or pipe as a tool.

Here are the steps:

1. Take a broom and hold it at both ends with your hands in a horizontal position.
2. Stand up straight and keep your feet shoulder width apart.
3. Lift the broom slowly over the back of your head as best you can.
4. Hold the final position for two seconds before returning to the starting position.
5. Repeat this movement five times.

2. Neck half circles

Source: Healthline

The neck is a part of the body that needs to be stretched. Because the neck is stiff and not flexible can bring various problems not only in the neck but also in the head and upper back. Therefore, you can do this one joint exercise to help flex and maximize its function.

Here are the steps:

1. Sit cross-legged and place your hands on your lap.
2. Tilt your head to one side until you feel a muscle pull.
3. Slowly turn your head forward until your chin touches your upper chest.
4. Repeat three times.
5. Then do the same on the other side of the neck.

3. Ankle mobility

Source: Healthline

Stretching the ankle joint helps maintain balance, especially when doing sports like squats and deadlifts. To do this one joint exercise, you can follow various stages such as:

1. Stand straight against the wall.
2. Place one hand on the wall to help maintain balance.
3. Lift your feet off the ground in a tiptoe-like position alternately back and forth.
4. Repeat the movement 10 times.

4. Thoracic spine windmills

Source: Healthline

This joint exercise helps maximize joint mobility in the thoracic spine, from the base of the neck to the area between the shoulder blades. By flexing this one part of your body, you can move and rotate your arms freely. This exercise involves the upper back muscles, stabilizing muscles of the spine, core muscles, and abdominal muscles. Do this by:

1. Lie on your side on the floor.
2. Bend one leg that is on top and keep the leg that is resting on the floor straight.
3. Place a pillow or towel under your bent knee.
4. Extend your hands in front of your chest and bring your palms together facing each other.
5. Lift the upper arm slowly and bring it back so that the body position that was sideways becomes half supine.
6. Repeat five times on each side and do the same on the other side.

5. Walking hip openers

Source: Healthline

The hip joint is a part of the body that can move in any direction. Therefore, before exercising it is a good idea to warm up the hip muscles and surrounding areas so that balance and flexibility are maintained. In this exercise, there are quite a lot of muscles that play a role, namely the glutes, hip flexors, hip extensors, and other muscles around the hips.

To do this, follow these steps:

1. Stand and keep your feet hip-width apart.
2. Place both hands on your hips.
3. Lift one side of the leg to the front of the chest and make a circular motion with the leg still in a bent position.
4. Repeat 10 times with five turns clockwise and another five turns counterclockwise.
5. Do the same for the other side.

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