There is a common belief that lifting weights will damage your joints, but research indicates the opposite is true. Multiple studies have shown that weightlifting and strength training actually help to strengthen your joints as well as your muscles and bones. The long-term effects of weightlifting can provide you with decreased pain, even if you have arthritis. While some soreness is typical, the overall impact of weightlifting is positive, as long as you incorporate the proper methods, which will help you get the most out of the exercise.
Why Do My Joints Hurt When I Lift?
Many people wonder if weightlifting can lead to arthritis. The answer is no. Someone might then ask why their joints hurt after exercising. There are a few reasons why this might be the case.
If you're experiencing pain while lifting weights, it's most likely due to one of two things: you're either lifting more weight than your body can handle, or you're using incorrect form.
Too Much Weight
It's important to listen to your body when you're exercising and look out for signs that something is wrong, like pain. If you're experiencing joint pain after working out, it's worth checking how much weight you're lifting in case it's too much for you. Although it can be tempting to lift more than you can manage in order to impress others, this can cause serious damage to your muscles and joints.
If you use more complex methods to lift weights, you are more likely to get injured if you try to lift too much. For example, if you try to lift a heavy weight over your head, you may lose your balance and suffer a severe injury.
Incorrect Form
When lifting weights, it is important to maintain the correct form to prevent injuries. This is especially true for beginners. A professional can help you identify the correct form for your body. Keep in mind that what works for one person may not work for another. A small change in position can make a big difference. Incorrect form can lead to joint pain or more serious injuries.
How Do I Avoid Joint Injuries When Lifting?
Lifting weights the wrong way can lead to sore joints after a workout, but there are some things you can do to avoid this. Make sure you warm up before working out, and use proper form when lifting.
- Do stretch beforehand: Warming up is a great way to get your body loosened up and allow for a broader range of motion for your joints. Start by moving around, marching in place and swinging your arms and legs to raise your core body temperature. Once your muscles are warm, stretching helps reduce the risk of swelling.
- Don't overdo it: When you feel yourself getting tired after strength training, it's a good idea to take that as a signal that your body has had enough. Pushing yourself harder only increases the likelihood of joint injury. That means stopping even if you haven't finished your workout — don't risk an overload injury by overdoing it.
- Do rest as needed: Your body needs rest, especially after working out. Avoid strenuously exercising the same areas two days in a row. Instead, switch it up every day or opt for full-body training two or three times a week, so your body has enough time to recharge between workouts.
- Don't rush it: When lifting weights, it can be tempting to quickly work through your set in hopes of getting more reps in. However, that not only ends up putting unnecessary pressure on your joints, but also increases the risk of injury, since you're not allowing yourself time to notice how your body is moving. Pay attention to how you're lifting by doing it in slow, controlled moves, which is also a great way to spot any inaccuracies in your form.
- Do listen to your body: Like when you feel yourself tiring, listen to your body when something starts to hurt or doesn't feel right. Don't power through the pain, because it could end up making the injury worse, sidelining you with recovery time. Trust your body when it tells you something's not right and work to fix it.
- Don't binge eat: Many people mistakenly believe they can eat whatever they want if they exercise enough, but your diet directly relates to the health of your joints and muscles. Strength training puts your joints at a higher risk of inflammation, and eating the wrong types of food can only increase that risk further. Instead, opt for healthy foods, which will help reduce the risk of inflammation of the joints.
Around 8.6 million people injure themselves through playing sports, which is unfortunately common. The spine, shoulder and knee are the three most vulnerable parts of the body when weightlifting.
Common Joint Injuries
Since weightlifting puts a lot of strain on the shoulders, knees, and spine, it's not surprising that these are the most vulnerable parts of the body. The force exerted on these areas can lead to injuries in the lower back and hips.
Shoulder injuries are the most common type of joint injury caused by strength training. Most of these injuries are due to shoulder dysfunction, which happens when the scapula and arm move in a way that puts extra strain on the shoulder. Shoulder injuries can cause sharp pain in the front or back of the shoulders, or in the deltoid muscle (the muscle that goes around the shoulder). You're likely to feel the pain when you reach your arms up, for example to exercise or get something off a high shelf.
If you want to avoid shoulder injuries, make sure to warm up properly before exercising. Warming up will help your body be prepared for the physical activity and reduce the chances of injury. If you experience shoulder pain even after warming up, speak to a professional to see if your form could be the issue.
Joint Pain from Lifting Weights
It often conjures up images of young, muscular guys who spend a lot of time in the gym lifting weights.Strength training can help reduce pain and inflammation caused by joint damage for most people. It is usually done using light hand weights, or in some cases straps, belts, or body weight.Why do people think that lifting weights causes joint damage, when it can actually provide relief from joint pain? A lot of bodybuilders who spend a lot of time lifting weights will regularly complain about aches and pains in their joints, especially as they age.If you don't lift weights properly, you could end up injuring yourself or straining your muscles. Lifting the right amount of weight for your body and using the proper form can help strengthen the muscles around your joints.
Benefits of Strength Training For Joints
The reason that weightlifting has such a bad reputation when it comes to arthritis is that people don't do it properly and they don't know enough about it. The truth is that weightlifting with arthritis can be a great addition to your pain management plan. Some of the benefits include:
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If you're living with joint pain every day, lifting weights has been found to reduce that pain by approximately 35%. Moving and strengthening exercises can help loosen up those achy joints and make you feel more yourself. This isn't just for people suffering from osteoarthritis, research has shown that exercise can also reduce discomfort for adults suffering from inflammatory arthritis conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis.
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Engaging in regular strength training can help reduce pain levels in the joints by 33 percent by strengthening the muscles around the joints.
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But don't worry — you don't have to hit the gym hard to reap the benefits of strength training. Moderate, consistent workouts are the key to building bone and muscle and reducing the risk of injury. Weight Loss. In some cases, lifting weights may help you lose the extra pounds that may be contributing to your pain and discomfort. Aerobic workouts are great for improving heart health and burning calories. Strength training is where you're going to start seeing the numbers on the scale slide backward. And when you're suffering from painful joints, every pound lost is a step toward pain reduction. Why? For every extra pound of weight your body carries around, four additional pounds of pressure are placed on your knees.10 If you're overweight, then you're putting extra pressure on your knees. But don't worry — you don't have to hit the gym hard to reap the benefits of strength training. Moderate, consistent workouts are the key to building bone and muscle and reducing the risk of injury.
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Weightlifting is an excellent preventative measure to protect the health of your joints, even if you aren't experiencing severe joint pain. Besides helping with weight management, weightlifting strengthens and maintains the health of your muscles and mobility of your joints, preventing problems later on.
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Any physical activity will help improve your mental health by producing endorphins. These are hormones that make you feel happier, and more energetic and positive. As well as making you feel better, endorphins also help to reduce pain. Although there is no cure for arthritis, being positive and active can help to prevent feelings of loss or depression. Use this as an opportunity to start a new fitness regime, and keep yourself motivated by setting goals and celebrating each milestone, no matter how small.
What Are the Benefits of Weightlifting for My Joints?
There are several benefits to lifting weights for your joints, even if you already suffer from arthritis. Though it won't cure arthritis, weightlifting can help alleviate your pain and discomfort.
Reduce Joint Pain
Regularly lifting weights will not directly cause pain, or arthritis as some believe. In fact, lifting weights has been shown to reduce joint pain, especially for those who live with arthritis or other conditions that result in inflamed joints. The movement from the exercises helps to loosen stiff joints, providing relief and relaxation.
Strength training is a great way to reduce the likelihood of experiencing joint pain. By strengthening the muscles and joints, they become more flexible and have a wider range of motion.
Strengthen Muscles
The muscles surrounding the joints help to reduce joint pain. Weightlifting helps to strengthen these muscles so they can function better and take pressure off of the joints.
If you engage in strength training on a regular basis, you will notice that any pain in your joints will gradually go away as your muscles become stronger.
Improve Mental Health
Exercise releases endorphins in your body, which boost your mood and motivation. This increased movement helps keep your joints healthy and pain-free.
The mood-boosting effects of exercise can also help alleviate depression or feelings of loss that can accompany arthritis or other joint conditions.
Decrease Body Weight
Sometimes excess weight can cause pain in the joints. This can be alleviated by weightlifting, as it will lead to weight loss and less strain on the joints. This is especially effective for knee pain, as they carry the weight of the body.
What Are the Long-Term Effects of Weightlifting for My Joints?
Weightlifting and joint pain is often seen as connected because people think that exercise causes discomfort. However, we have now discovered that the opposite is actually true and that weightlifting can help reduce and even stop joint pain, for example for people who suffer from arthritis.
If you perform strength training on a consistent basis, your muscles will grow stronger, including the muscles around your joints. Stronger muscles help to protect your joints from deterioration, keeping them healthy and functional. Contrary to what some people believe, using your joints regularly is actually better for their health than not using them.
Weightlifting can have positive effects on your body, but only if you practice it correctly to avoid injury. The body is made up of many different parts that need to work together in the right combination. It is important to understand your body and its unique differences to get the most benefit from your exercise.
Most people have a dominant side, so your weightlifting workout should be designed to take that into account.
If you lift weights correctly and regularly, you can relieve pain in the long run and increase your strength.
