Beat Morning Stiffness: Simple Exercises & Tips for Joint Pain Relief

Do you find yourself stiff and shuffling to the bathroom in the morning, even though during the day you move with relative ease? Do you feel creaky and old before your time in the first hour of the day? If so, you’re not alone. A recent study found 19 per cent of UK adults suffer from a stiff back in the morning and 29 per cent from creaky knees.

Morning stiffness has many causes, and one of them is sleep. The synovial fluid, the substance that lubricates the cartilage cushioning our bones, doesn’t circulate as effectively while we’re mostly inert in the night. As we age, the amount of synovial fluid naturally declines, contributing to this effect.

“And our joints, because they’re not moving, stiffen,” says Uzo Ehiogu, a clinical specialist physiotherapist at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital Birmingham. Joint inflammation – caused by injury, overuse or conditions such as osteoarthritis – exacerbates the problem, as does the fact muscle, tendon and ligament tissue often become shorter and tighter with age.

It’s a common misconception that aging alone explains morning stiffness. While age increases the likelihood of stiffness, it’s not the sole cause. Factors like prolonged inactivity and underlying medical conditions play significant roles.

Fortunately, there are several quick tricks, stretches, and mobility exercises you can do in the morning to improve your range of motion. Consistent practice – ideally daily – can lead to noticeable improvements in mobility over three to four weeks, as muscle and connective tissues lengthen and joints become more flexible.

Take Five Deep Breaths When You Wake Up

“Five slow, deep breaths can help to improve blood flow to the muscles, reducing the presence of inflammatory chemicals that can cause swelling around muscles and joints,” says Dr. Steven Weiniger, a chiropractor and the author of Stand Taller Live Longer: Posture & Anti-Aging Strategy. This increased blood flow can help to alleviate some of the discomfort associated with morning stiffness.

Research supports the benefits of breathing exercises. A meta-analysis published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine found that breathing exercises showed significant short-term effects in reducing pain and disability for persistent neck pain.

The technique involves inhaling slowly through your nose for a count of four, allowing your diaphragm to move down and expand your chest and belly.

Hug Your Knees in Bed Six Times

“Knee-hugs help with hip and knee flexibility and are good for those who sleep in the foetal position,” Ehiogu says. Lie flat on your back in bed, legs straight out in front of you. Lift up one knee and using both hands hold your knee towards your chest. Hold for 40 seconds, then slowly lower your leg, “reversing the posture” of the knees-bent foetal position, and repeat on the other side. Do this three times on each side.

Take a Three-Minute Hot Shower

A hot shower can reduce morning stiffness by relaxing muscles and promoting circulation of synovial fluid. “To maximise joint mobility and soft tissue flexibility, it’s always better to use heat first thing in the morning,” Ehiogu says, adding that subsequent stretching will be more effective. A hot bath can provide even greater benefits by warming the entire body. Research in the South African Journal of Physiotherapy found that twice-weekly hydrotherapy sessions in a heated pool significantly decreased pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Rotate Your Ankles 60 Times Before You Dress

Achilles and calf stiffness can be exacerbated by the position of your toes overnight. When standing, your toes are typically at a right angle to your heels, but during sleep, they often angle inward. This can shorten the Achilles tendon and calf muscle. Sit on the edge of your bed, feet on the floor, and lift one foot off the ground. Rotate your foot in a clockwise motion then repeat in an anticlockwise motion. Repeat ten times on each foot, three times.

Make Six Lumbar Rotations on the Floor

Your back is particularly susceptible to stiffness in the morning because it contains multiple joints. This exercise will stretch your spinal muscles and obliques. Lie on your back, lift up one knee and bring it across your body, pulling your knee down with the opposite hand. Turn your head away from your knee. Stay in this position for 40 seconds, then repeat on the other side. Do this three times.

Work Through 60 Shoulder Circles on All Fours

For achy shoulders, Ehiogu suggests shoulder circles. Kneeling on all fours, lift one hand off the ground, keeping your arm straight and body still, move your arm in a clockwise circle, then an anticlockwise circle. Do two sets of 15 on each side. “Being on all fours, rather than standing, engages your shoulder blades and core muscles,” Ehiogu says.

One Minute of Cat-Cow

Remaining on all fours, inhale as you drop your belly towards the floor, arch your back and lift up your head and tailbone. As you exhale, round your back, tucking your chin towards your chest while drawing your navel to your spine. Repeat ten times, for about one minute. The flexion and extension in this yoga pose wake up the joints in your spine.

Do Squat Shoulder Presses Every Other Day

Lifting weights can be effective at reducing stiffness because, provided you move the muscle through its full range of motion, you’re increasing mobility and flexibility while building strength that helps to protect joints, Ehiogu says. His favorite exercise for building all-over mobility and strength is the squat shoulder press.

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, a dumbbell in each hand, arms down, palms turned towards your thighs. Keeping your chest up, push your hips back and bend your knees into a squat. As you stand back up, press the dumbbells straight overhead until your arms are straight. Start to lower your weights as you begin your next squat. “I’d do three sets of 10-12 every other day,” Ehiogu says.

Buy a Better Pillow and Sleep on Your Side

“The wrong pillow can lead to an aching neck,” Weiniger says. He recommends “a surgical pillow that has a hump under the neck and a dip under the head which supports the neck and takes away some of the load from the shoulders and torso that can cause neck ache in the morning”. Sleeping with multiple pillows can push your head forward, leading to neck pain by unevenly loading the joints in your spine. Your head should be elevated so that it’s neutral with your spine.

Sleep on Your Side with a Pillow Between Your Legs

Sleeping on your side is “generally the best way to sleep,” Weiniger says, because the spine is in the most neutral position. “Put a pillow between your knees so you maintain alignment of your legs with the hips, which takes away some of the stress on your lower back.” He says sleeping on your stomach is the worst position because you have to keep your head turned to breathe, creating muscle imbalances. Sleeping on your back can also contribute to lower back and neck pain.

Drink Plenty of Water Through the Day

Drinking enough liquids is also key. Our muscles and cartilage are up to 80 per cent water, and ligaments and tendons up to 70 per cent water. As we get older we lose fluid in those tissues, “hence they become stiffer and shorter”, Ehiogu says. He adds that rather than aiming to drink specific targets of fluid a day you should ensure your urine is pale and you never feel thirsty. If you do feel thirsty “you’re already dehydrated”.