The Best Morning Exercises for Joint Pain, According to Physical Therapists

Spend eight-plus hours curled in the fetal position or lying face-down on a rock-hard mattress, and your body will likely feel as stiff as a board come morning. And if you're one of the 70 percent of people over the age of 50 who experience joint pain at least occasionally, per a University of Michigan poll, that tightness may also come with a side of uncomfortable aches in your knees, shoulders or hips.

The good news: Performing a handful of dynamic stretches and mobility drills before you start your day can give you the pain relief you need. Here, physical therapists share the exercises they recommend for clients experiencing joint pain when they wake up and explain why they can be so beneficial.

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By and large, joint pain stems from a consistent lack of varied movement, says Grayson Wickham, PT, DPT, CSCS, a physical therapist and the founder of Movement Vault. Most folks are glued to their desk chairs five days a week.

And in their workout routines, they may be focusing primarily on exercises that take place in the sagittal plane (think: forward and backward exercises that involve flexion and extension of a joint, like bench presses, forward lunges and squats), Wickham says. In turn, the muscles that fire up during rotational and side-to-side movements aren't working as frequently, which can ultimately lead to muscle weakness.

"Over the years, your body adapts [to the lack of movement] and gets these tight muscles and tight joints, and tight joints don't move like they should move," he tells LIVESTRONG.com. "Then, another joint or area of the body has to compensate for the joints that aren't moving well."

For instance, if you have weak, tight hip muscles, your knees will move differently than how they're designed so you can effectively carry out a movement pattern. In this case, the knee joint tends to rotate slightly, according to Wickham. That tweak leads to wear and tear in the compensated joint that, over time, can lead to pain or injury, he notes.

You may also develop pain due to weakness in the muscles ‌surrounding‌ the affected joint, says Bethany Cook, PT, DPT, CSCS, a physical therapist and the founder of Be Free MIAMI.

"Your joints take the stress of your day-to-day activities, and the weaker you are around that joint, the more stress it's going to take," Cook tells LIVESTRONG.com. "So, the more you can strengthen the muscles and soft tissues surrounding that joint, the less stress will be placed on it."

Though less common, joint pain can also be caused by sudden injuries — say, a slip on an icy sidewalk or a fall during a contact sport — or genetic predisposition (perhaps your joint has an atypical orientation that leads to wear and tear), Wickham says.

Arthritis can also be to blame, including osteoarthritis (when the cartilage covering the ends of bones begins to break down) and rheumatoid arthritis (a disease in which the immune system attacks joints), according to the Mayo Clinic.

When weakness and tightness are to blame for joint pain, movement is often one the best treatment strategies. Along with gently yet dynamically exercising the aching joint (so long as it doesn't exacerbate the pain), you'll typically want to practice active stretches that target the tight muscles and joints driving the movement compensation, Wickham says. So if tightness in your hips is behind your knee pain, you'll want to focus on active stretches that target the hip joint, he notes.

With active stretching, you're improving your joint's active mobility, which can help you become more "flexible," and you're improving your activation of muscles throughout your range of motion, Wickham explains. In the process, you're also building a more resilient joint that's less likely to get injured, he notes.

Performing controlled articular rotations (CARs) — which involve slowly moving your aching joint through its end range of active motion — can also be beneficial, according to Cook.

"You're not just activating the muscles around it, but you're also letting your brain know, 'Hey, let's prioritize these tissues for whatever they need,' whether it's repair, remodeling or nourishment," Cook says.

Movement drives the production of synovial fluid, produced by the connective tissue (called the synovial membrane) that lines your joints. This fluid lubricates and nourishes your joints, hence the expression "motion is lotion," Cook says.

Performing exercises that improve range of motion and strengthen muscles surrounding aching joints can also be helpful for some types of arthritis, according to the Mayo Clinic.

After sleeping in a stagnant position, your joints may feel particularly stiff once your morning alarm sounds off, Cook says. However, spending just 10 to 15 minutes on movement before you head out the door, at least three times a week, can help ease joint pain, Wickham adds.

"Your body is going to really reap the benefits of preventing pain and injury and being able to move better," Wickham says. "Once your joints aren't as tight as they are, you're able to perform better in your day-to-day activities, such as reaching up and putting away a glass, cleaning your house, doing yard work, gardening or movements in the gym."

To help you on your journey toward ache-free joints, Wickham and Cook shared their favorite exercises for joint pain in your neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees and ankles, demonstrated below. If you're not sure which movements are right for you, don't be afraid to reach out to a physical therapist for personalized recommendations.

To modify, perform the exercise while standing upright. To progress, perform the exercise without the support of the chair.

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The Best Morning Exercises for Joint Pain, According to Physical Therapists