Stretching (range-of-motion) Exercises

This type of exercises helps in maintaining normal joint movement and relieves stiffness. This also helps maintain or increase flexibility. The stretching exercises should be done daily for at least 15 minutes. These exercises protect the joints by reducing the risk of joint injury, warm-ups the body for other strenuous exercise by releasing tension from the body. These can be performed on land or in water such as a pool, hot tub or warm bath. These exercises can be particularly useful for easing stiff joints in the morning.

Various stretching exercises are:

• Lie on the back. Keeping the elbow straight raise one arm over the head close to the ear. Stay in the position for few minutes. Repeat the same with other arm. This exercise involves shoulder joint.
• Clasp the hands at the back of the head. Move the elbows back as far as possible and while moving the elbow back pull the chin in. repeat the same procedure for 10-15 minutes. It involves both the shoulder and elbow joints.
• Place the hand on a table as flat as possible and place the other hand across the fingers and press down by straightening the fingers. This exercise is the best for straightening the joints.
• Lie on the back. Keeping the feet flat bend the knees. Now bring one knee towards the chest. Now bend the knee with hands and try to touch the heel to buttock. This exercise involves the knee joint.
• Lie with the face down. Now raise one leg slowly as high as you can easily. This is best for the people who are in sitting jobs. This helps to increase the backward motion of the hip.
• To increase the flexibility of the neck joints tilt the head to the right and then to the left in a position that the ears touch the shoulders.
• Sit in a chair with feet lying flat on the floor. Now raise the feet high by keeping the heels down on the floor. Return to the starting position. Now keep the feet on the floor and lift the heels as high as possible. It increases the flexibility of the ankle joints.