Joint pain can be caused by various types of Arthritis, by a sports injury or even Fibromyalgia. The pain comes from the inflammation of the joint from disease or injury and can also include swelling and stiffness. Exercise can help relieve some of this pain as part of your treatment plan. Always check with your doctor first to see if exercise is right for you.

There are three different kinds of exercise you’ll want to try:

• Range of Motion
• Strengthening
• Aerobic Exercise

Range of Motion

This includes stretching and exercises like yoga or tai chi. These should be done every day or every other day. By increasing your range of motion joint pain and stiffness can be decreased over time.

Strengthening

Increasing your muscle strength can also help with joint pain. Consider doing some minimal weight lifting and starting with 1, 2 or 5 pound weights. Even low weights can make a significant difference, so start low and stick with one weight for several days before moving up too quickly.

Aerobic Exercise

These exercises get your heart rate up by consistent movement of the large muscle groups. Running, jogging, bike riding are all good aerobic activities. Swimming is a great low impact exercise to help decrease joint pain.

Some arthritis sufferers start their exercise routine by applying heat right before they start and applying cold packs after the workout. The key is to keep it up a few days a week. If your exercise routine becomes boring try to a different type one, listen to music or ask a friend to join.

If swelling occurs, inflammation increases, range of motion decreases or pain from exercise persists for more than an hour after exercise contact your doctor.