It is estimated that about 60 percent of the people who suffer from moderate to severe joint pain live sedentary lives or do not get enough physical exercise to produce actual health benefits from their exercise. Joint pain sufferers usually don’t want to exercise due to fear that any kind of intensive physical exercise may lead to more pain. Many medical professionals believe that being sedentary because of painful joints may actually do more harm than good for joint health. Resting your joints can take you further away from your goal for muscle and joint relief. If you have suffered a joint injury, or believe you have you should always consult your doctor before beginning an exercise program.

If you have suffered a joint injury, or believe you have you should always consult your doctor before beginning an exercise program

Your doctor might tell you that exercising painful joints the right way can help to:ease joint pain

• increase flexibility
• strengthen joints
• build stamina

The logic might sound hard to believe but there is sufficient clinical data to show that moderate to intensive exercise programs really can help strengthen muscle and joint relief can be the result. There’s also strong suggestive evidence from research which show that a joint health supplement may also relieve inflammation and discomfort while rehabilitating joints.

If your joints are stiff and painful, begin slowly and build up to a moderate exercise regimen. Here are a few tips to help you get started and get the best out of your exercise program to support muscle and joint relief:

• Use heat therapy before you begin your exercises. Apply hot towels to joints or take a warm bath or shower for about 20 minutes. This should help you experience muscle and joint relief in every part of the body.
• Warm up your muscles and joints by beginning your exercise routine with range of motion exercises. This is simply moving your arms up and down and in rotation or jogging in place. Do this for 5 minutes.
• Perform stretch exercises for 5 to 7 minutes. Gently and slowly, stretch each joint of your body and hold for at least 30 seconds. Bouncing during a stretch can damage muscles. Stretch exercises release the tension and also help provide muscle and joint relief. They also stimulate healthy joint functions.
• After the stretch exercises, you can alternate days for aerobics and strength training exercises. Strength training helps to build muscles. Strong muscles help to strengthen joint health. Aerobics such as walking, bicycling or swimming can help support circulation, protect cardiovascular health, and build up stamina and energy. It is important to perform only low impact exercises.
• Finish your exercise with cold packs on joints for about 10 minutes. This can help to restrict any inflammation or pain that may arise after an exercise regimen.

It is important to note a progression in muscle and joint relief as the weeks go by. If at any point you feel unusual pain or there is swelling of a joint, rest that particular joint for a day or until the swelling has gone down.

In addition to appropriate exercise, taking a joint health supplement can help provide your body with the nutrition it needs for muscle and joint support. A joint health supplement which contains glucosamine sulfate has been extensively researched and shows efficacy in nutritionally supporting joint health. Other well-researched ingredients for muscle and joint health include hyal joint, Interhealth collagen type II and MSM. Boswellin, curcumin 3 and white willow bark help ease inflammation and pain. A joint health supplement may also contain green lipped mussel extract which helps to lubricate the joints for more flexibility. Grape seed extract is an antioxidant and helps to support irculation.

Start taking a joint health supplement, like GoFlex, 4-6 weeks before you begin an exercise regimen. After 4 to 6 weeks you can start experiencing the results –and this can help you consistently maintain an exercise routine for joint health. GoFlex also comes with a topical cream containing an Food and Drug Administration-approved ingredient called capsaicin. Capsaicin, applied topically to painful joints, is a fast-acting pain reliever.