Exercising in the Morning & Joints

[Anonymous]

I have been exercising in the afternoon but am switching to AM exercising to get it out of the way early. I am finding that my age has really caught up to me. My joints are so stiff and painful in the morning (suspect some arthritis, which I was warned about from doctors years ago after a knee operation). For those of you in a similar boat, do you find as you get in better shape the pain and stiffness is decreased? (I am a month into a new exercise routine and program).

[Anonymous]

A bit, yes. Rather, I REALLY feel it if I stop for a while and get back to it now. My advice here (and my degree is in art, not sports medicine, so weigh my advice accordingly) is to really give yourself some time in the morning to warm up properly and stretch a bit before launching in. Be sure to stretch afterwards as well.

[Anonymous]

Do you feel okay after you get going? I work out at 5:00 am and I'm 45 yo and just started back into getting fit. I know I'm stiffer in the morning and I also have lower stamina, but the benefits are worth it for me in the morning. I also notice if I have too much salt or drink ANY alcohol the night before it hurts my joints way more. I suppose it was doing this before but I just didn't notice it.

[Anonymous]

Not sure what kind of exercise you're doing, but I run in the mornings, and find that it helps me to walk first for 5-10 minutes to wake my body up and work out the creaks (I'm 46, btw). You'll also find that your morning stamina improves with time and repetition. I used to be a pm runner, and now feel better running in the am.

[Anonymous]

I get up at 5:15 for a 6:00 am class. My body and joints need to warm up now that I am over 40. I'd live to just roll out of bed and go... but I can't and my knees and ankles won't

[Anonymous]

I do yoga in the mornings, which feels great. It warms up the body, is low impact, and effective.

[Anonymous]

As soon as you step out of bed, (your muscles are all warm) stretch, bend, twist every muscle group to tone them up. (If I don't, I end up having to stop and stretch during the run.)

[Anonymous]

I started taking glucosamine/chondroitin a year or two ago to try to ward off joint issues and I think it helps. I'm a 44-year-old runner who does about 20-25 miles a week.

[Anonymous]

I'm 41 and I work out at 5:30am most days (have been on this schedule for a little over a year). I agree w/ the PPs who emphasized a warm up. My walk to boot camp takes about 15m, and I am usually loosened up when I get there, and then there is a short warm up there as well. On the days I run, I also walk for about 5-10 minutes, gradually increasing my pace. Also, if I stay up to late, I am always less coordinated and my workouts are harder!

[Anonymous]

I'm 40 and run in the morning. I do a warm up before running. I do about 15 minutes of core work and push ups with some dynamic stretching. That really gets my body warmed up and mitigates any joint stiffness.

Google "dynamic stretching" to find some videos. Regular stretching before working out isn't very effective because the muscles aren't warm.

I do vigorous exercise (strength/weight training) in the evening, because I find that it is most effective then. I'm warm and less likely to pull something.

I also do a lot of yoga and stretching. This is important because if you do intense exercise for 30 minutes in the morning but then sit all day, it's a recipe for stiffness and even injury. I take mini stretch breaks throughout the day. And I also do some yoga before going to bed to work out the kinks.

Part of the morning stiffness you experience might be because you work out in the morning and then don't get enough stretching throughout the day. So you work the muscles really hard and then keep them in one position (sitting) for hours on end. That can lead to some tightness.

That's why the little mini stretch breaks and then a final good stretch (moving the body through its full range of motion) before bed can help mitigate the morning stiffness.