Live Whole Health #174: Motion is lotion

Do you ever feel joint stiffness or tightness that gets in the way of moving like you want to? Or keep you from doing certain activities? Maybe you’ve heard the phrase “motion is lotion?” Yes, movement can help manage or decrease stiffness.

“Motion is lotion” means that movement can help with joint health. It increases the circulation of blood and synovial fluid providing nutrients and lubrication to the joints. We often lose mobility and flexibility as we age, but luckily it is something we can maintain or get back if we work at it.

Mobility exercises can help maintain healthy joints. These can also increase or maintain range-of-motion and flexibility that supports our daily routine and activities. For example, good ankle mobility can help improve our balance, which may lead to fewer falls. Hip joint mobility also helps our balance and stability. Good mobility of the thoracic spine, or the middle back, supports movement of our arms up and overhead, like when we lift something to the top shelf and our ability to turn side to side, like when we twist to grab something from the back seat.

No equipment required!

Mobility exercises can be done quickly and easily, in a small space, sitting in a chair and without any equipment. You can do one exercise at a time or put them together into a full body mobility session. These exercises often involve gentle movement, such as straightening and bending the arms at the elbow joint or rolling your shoulders forward, up, back and down.  

It’s important to listen to our body throughout any movement or exercise. Being present and bringing awareness to your physical body before, during and after movement activities can help prevent adverse events or injury.

Join Yoga Therapist and VHA Integrative Health Coordinating Center Program Lead Alison Whitehead in this chair based joint mobility session and see what you think.

For more information, how-to tips, and why moving the body is important, check out the Moving the Body section of the Circle of Health. You can also check out additional movement exercises and articles in the #LiveWholeHealth Series archive.

Looking for information on physical therapy? Check out the Physical Therapy section of the Veterans Health Library.