COVER Beat pain in just five minutes

Don’t let stiff, painful joints get in the way of enjoying your day – this fiveminute warm-you-up workout will get you moving and help to keep those niggling aches at bay

Do you often wake up in the mornin aching and feeling stiff? The good news is this is completely normal. Your body spends all night repairing itself while you sleep and this causes some inflammation.

“When you wake up, the natural anti-inflammatories in your body kick in to tackle the inflammation and your joints stiffen up and feel painful,” says physiotherapist Lyndsay Hirst of www. yourpilatesphysio.com.

But while it might be uncomfortable at first, getting your joints moving really is the best way to loosen them up, ease any discomfort and help keep them healthy.

“Your joints are surrounded by a fluid-filled capsule, and this fluid is full of essential nutrients your joints need to be healthy,” says Lyndsay.

“By moving and stretching you get all those nutrients into every bit of your joint. If your joints are stiff and seized, they won’t get the nourishment they need and this could cause them to become damaged over time.”

Taking a few minutes to move your body in the morning will reap benefits and set you up for the day.

“Sometimes moving a stiff joint will feel uncomfortable at first but the more you do it, the better it will feel,” says Lyndsay. “After you’ve done the exercises you should notice less pain and stiffness.” Try to do them daily to reap the rewards.