Q:
Hi, I am 46 years old, my upper body is very rigid and I cannot touch my toes in the morning and cannot move sideways, my muscles are not flexible at all in the morning, but as the day goes on it becomes normal .. I do a lot of walking, a little weights, but my body pains me every morning, what exercises will help increase my flexibity, I weigh 95 kgs, please advice, Thank you
A:
There are a couple of things that could be causing the stiffness and pain. It is possible you could be suffering some form of arthritis such as Rheumatoid arthritis. This is an inflammatory condition that can cause stiffness and pain particularly evident in the morning. It is best to get this investigated by your GP as there are blood tests they can do to diagnose or rule this out.
The reason it gets better throughout the day is that when resting the fluid in your joints decreases then when you start to move more fluid is produced in the joints and it coats and lubricates them.
A good way to help reduce the stiffness is some sort of simple stretching and range of movement in the morning. This can help to loosen the joints and reduce the stiffness. Basically any low impact, regular, consistent exercise such as swimming, walking or gentle Pilates is good for this. A diet high in fish oil or supplements can sometimes help and heating and cooling applications after exercise can also help.
I would suggest you see your doctor first to check and see if you require some anti-inflammatory medication to help with the pain.
The reason it gets better throughout the day is that when resting the fluid in your joints decreases then when you start to move more fluid is produced in the joints and it coats and lubricates them.
A good way to help reduce the stiffness is some sort of simple stretching and range of movement in the morning. This can help to loosen the joints and reduce the stiffness. Basically any low impact, regular, consistent exercise such as swimming, walking or gentle Pilates is good for this. A diet high in fish oil or supplements can sometimes help and heating and cooling applications after exercise can also help.
I would suggest you see your doctor first to check and see if you require some anti-inflammatory medication to help with the pain.
