Exercise is not what you want to do when you are afflicted by joint pain and arthritis. Exercise is the best medicine to ease your discomfort and help your joints stay loose and flexible.

Exercises to reduce pain in your joints need not be complicated and most you can do right in the comfort of your own home. Once you understand the basic components of the types of movements that will bring relief to your joints, you can easily put together a routine to keep limber and reduce pain.

There are three primary kinds of arthritis exercise. They will respectively enhance your flexibility, strengthen your muscles and joints, and maintain your overall fitness level. While each of these kinds of exercise will help your well being, the flexibility movements are the most important in extending your range of motion, which is the amount that a given joint can move in each direction.

It may take some time to limber up joints that have become swollen and painful, but gentle and patient movements will eventually greatly improve your mobility on these joints. Some of the easy exercises that you can utilize to improve flexibility are: hip lifts, lower back rotations, back press and release, elbow bends, arm reaches and extensions, and finger tip curls.

Once you find a good routine for your exercises try to do them about twice a day. You should also try to do each exercise about 3 to 10 times. Make sure you do them slowly and control your moves. Don't jerk, have control and do them slowly. It is not a race it's a exercise routine.

A lot of people don't think to breathe as they do their exercises for arthritis. It is beneficial to count your breaths out loud. It's normal to experience some discomfort when you begin, but stop immediately if you feel severe pain.

Certain exercises are suggested to specifically reduce joint pain due to arthritis. Many people believe keeping mobile by completing normal daily activities such as stair climbing, preparing meals, vacuuming, and getting dresses will provide the same benefits. One needs to realize that everyday activities will not replace the exercises intended to help strengthen and reduce pain in the arthritic joints.