“Exercise isn’t good for me, I’ve got bad knees… bad shoulders… bad joints.”
Have you ever caught yourself saying that, or thinking it quietly in the back of your mind? It’s a very common belief, and on the surface it makes sense. If something hurts, surely the safest option is to avoid using it. But is that actually helping, or could it be making things worse?
Here’s something many people don’t realise. If you go to a physiotherapist about a bad knee, shoulder, or joint, they are almost certainly going to give you exercises. And those exercises are very likely to be strength-based. That’s not because they want to make things harder for you, but because movement and strength are usually part of the solution, not the problem.
One of the best ways to help a sore or vulnerable joint is to make the muscles around it stronger. Stronger muscles can take more of the load during everyday movements like walking, lifting, pushing or pulling. When that happens, the joint itself takes less strain. Over time, this often leads to better support, improved function, and less discomfort during daily life.
You may have heard the phrases “use it or lose it” and “practice makes perfect”. They apply very well here. When we stop using a joint, or we favour it, it often becomes stiffer, weaker and more painful. When we use it properly, with the right type and amount of exercise, it usually improves. Movement tells your body that this joint is still needed, and your body responds by adapting.
Now, to be clear, we are not physiotherapists, and it is always sensible to check with a qualified professional if you have pain, injury, or a medical condition. That said, we have spoken to hundreds of physios over the years. We honestly cannot remember a single time one of them said, “This person should not exercise at all, they are too broken.” What they usually say is that exercise needs to be adapted, progressed carefully, and done in the right way.
If you are unsure how to exercise safely around an injured or painful joint, you do not have to figure it out alone. We run rehabilitation-focused exercise classes both in the gym and outside of it, designed to help people move with confidence again. You can find out more about our rehab classes in the gym by clicking here, and outside the gym by clicking here.
If you have questions, concerns, or just want to talk things through, please get in touch with us below. We would love to help you find a way to move that works with your body, not against it.