PAIN in the knees, lower back or shoulders is very common, especially as we age.
It’s tempting to avoid movement altogether, but this is often the worst thing you can do, depending on your injury.
GettyLower back pain is very common, but it don’t need to rule your life[/caption]
But taking activity too far can also aggravate underlying issues.
For example, squats when you have lower back issues are rarely a good idea – but that doesn’t mean you can’t modify the exercise to suit you.
Josh Bryant, specialist musculoskeletal physiotherapist and owner of Physio Athletic, tells The Sun: “If running is causing your knee pain then just reduce your activity to walking if it is tolerable.
“You then need to build back the strength of the muscles around the joint while staying within a pain range of nought to four/ten (ten being the worst pain imaginable).
“By building your strength around the joint you will gradually build up greater load tolerance and will eventually get yourself back to your usual exercise pain-free, providing the injury is not serious.”
David Wiener, training and nutrition specialist at AI-based fitness and lifestyle coaching app Freeletics, adds: “Figuring out the right kind of exercise for your condition is what will make all the difference, and can actually alleviate the pain instead of worsen it.
“With a few easy steps and lifestyle changes, you can naturally get your pain under control.”
Lower back pain
The lower back takes a huge amount of strain. It bears the weight of your upper body and is used any time you lift something heavy.
Lower back pain can come with age, due to a slipped or injured disc, or arthritis, among other things.
Alex Watson, a personal trainer and mobility specialist, tells The Sun: “Up to 60 per cent of the adult population in the UK will have low back pain at some point in their lifetime, according to studies.
“Exercise and movement are known to be one of the best ways to combat lower back pain but knowing what exercises to do tends to be the challenge.”
David agrees that “simply not moving is one of the worst things you can do”.
WHAT TO AVOID:
Vicky Hadley, a personal trainer and owner of Sculpt and Sweat Studio, says those with severe back pain should “be careful when doing barbell back squats as the load on the back can cause the back pain to trigger”.
David says: “Avoid high-impact exercises such as step aerobics or high-intensity cardio which includes a lot of jumping.”
You should see your GP if back pain does not improve after a few weeks or is worsening, despite taking precautions such as stretching, taking antiinflammatories or using an ice pack, the NHS says.
WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:
Experts say stretching is important for the back, especially as most of us sit in the same position all day long.
“Once you begin to gently move your back, you can start to incorporate more strength-based moves, as you need to train these muscles to build back strength, which in the long run will help alleviate back pain and offer maximum protection to eliminate further injury,” David says.
Lie on your back, bring your knees to your chest, and gently rock from side to side.
Stretching the glues and hamstrings – also forming the back of the body – can help, too.
Alex says: “Often we find that those with low back pain have weaker core strength than those without.
“Strengthen the core – I’m not talking sit-ups and crunches, but more like plank holds, shoulder taps, dead bugs and bird/dogs (YouTube videos can show you how to do these); movements that are targeting the deeper muscles of the core.”
Swimming is easy on the back while providing a workout for the lungs and muscles.
And, although deadlifts and squats require a lot of back muscles, they can still be beneficial.
Alex says: “The deadlift is the best movement for building strength and gaining muscle throughout the whole body.
“A strong posterior chain can help to stave off any issues we face through modern living. Lifting with correct form is key.”
Vicky says a great alternative to a barbell squat is a kettlebell goblet squat, or to use a cable machine, which puts a lot less pressure on the back.
Shoulder pain
A frozen shoulder, hypermobility or tendonitis are just some of the reasons you may be experiencing shoulder pain – which should be seen by a GP if it has not improved within two weeks.
Alex says: “From my experience, shoulder pain is often caused by an imbalance of muscle strength and length.
“More specifically, due to modern living, we tend to spend a lot of time slumped over a desk, at a steering wheel, or over our phone, which causes the front of the shoulders to become very tight and generally stronger, and rear of the shoulders and upper back to become looser and weaker.
“The shoulder is held together by a complex system of muscles, tendons and ligaments which if not working in synergy, can create painful movement.”
WHAT TO AVOID:
The imbalance of our shoulder muscles from slouching tends to manifest in pain with overhead movements, Alex warned.
Josh agrees, adding: “If your pain is caused by overhead motions, be very cautious with military press, dumbbell shoulder press and snatches.”
Sports that involve throwing a ball, such as basketball or netball, “should be avoided, whether you’re struggling with shoulder tendonitis or rotator cuff,” David says.
“Similarly, strength training exercises such as pull-ups, overhead presses and bench dips should be avoided too.”
WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:
Experts say for shoulder pain, it is best to find where the pain is coming from first in order to adjust to any imbalances, as well as focus on what needs strengthening.
“For example, if the pain stem from the rotator cuff you can treat the rotator cuff pain using external rotations with a light dumbbell to mobilise and release it before starting your shoulder exercises,” Vicky says.
Alex says when doing shoulder presses, start with a light weight and remain seated.
Or, landmine presses can develop upper body strength without pushing weight overhead, Josh says.
Alex adds: “One movement I would recommend everybody who has access to a gym to do is the lat pulldown.
“Again start with a light weight, keep the chest proud and drive the bar/handle to the chest while maintaining a vertical spine, squeezing the shoulder blades and elbows backward throughout.
“Don’t have access to a gym? Then try ‘Y T W raises’ from a face-down position.”
Knee pain
The knee is made of a number of ligaments, tissue and cartilage, as well as the bone.
Pain can often be the result of an injury from twisting or overstretching, and can make weight-bearing difficult.
But arthritis and tendonitis can also niggle away over the long term.
Studies suggest up to one in four adults suffer knee pain lasting more than a month.
Alex says: “Knee pain isn’t something you should suffer with.
“If there has been a specific incident that you can recall that caused the onset of the pain, if your knee ever locks or gives out, if after trying to stretch and strengthen the pain doesn’t reduce or gets worse, then reach out to your GP or a local physiotherapist to have it checked out properly.”
WHAT TO AVOID:
Deep squats or lunges are often culprits for knee pain.
Vicky explains: “This is due to placing too much pressure in the toes, so the knee shifts too far forward and causes the heel to come off the floor.”
Running is usually not advised for people with knee pain as this can put a lot of impact through the joint.
WHAT TO DO INSTEAD:
Step-ups are a better alternative to lunges as long as you ensure the pressure is driving through the heel of the foot, Vicky says: “Once you have managed to shift the strength into the heels, exercises such as walking lunges will be able to be resumed with less pain.”
Josh recommends leg extensions, wall sits and Spanish squats to strengthen the legs without implicating the knee as much.
Strengthening the muscles around the knee will “provide stability and support for the knee and can help to alleviate pain,” Alex says, recommending cycling, leg press and deadlifts.
“If you do enjoy running, swap the exercise for a simple walk instead,” he says.
“Walking is the perfect low-intensity exercise and can help strengthen your muscles and improve your fitness levels.
“If you have been out of action through a knee injury, your muscles would have become weak due to the fact you would have been resting.
“Once you are ready to start moving again, walking is the perfect choice to help recover. “When walking, you are restoring the movement within your knees and joints by getting them moving again, but at a low impact.
“Not only this, but when you walk you are increasing the blood flow around your body, resulting in providing your injured muscles with different nutrients and oxygen which accelerates the recovery progress.”