How Are You Spending Your Day? Purposeful Movement Is Key

A common scenario: “I have been doing workouts consistently for a month now. I do feel stronger when I am exercising, but I am still experiencing some knee pain and back stiffness throughout the day. My progress feels slow. My knee tends to swell and feel very stiff by the end of the day. What am I missing?”

Can you relate? Do you feel joint stiffness is limiting you throughout the day? Do you feel like you are hitting a plateau in your progress?

One of the first questions to ask in a situation like this is: how are you spending the rest of your day outside of working out?

Think about your typical workout: usually somewhere between 10 and 60 minutes. You are likely awake for at least 10 or more additional hours outside of that window. How do you spend those hours? Sitting most of the time? Standing in the same position? Moving around?

One of the ways you can begin to unlock more potential is by incorporating purposeful movement throughout the day. Your body is likely already adapted to everything you do as part of your regular routine. In order to facilitate change, something needs to change, and it isn’t always more activity or more walking.

What Is Purposeful Movement?

Purposeful movement is movement you consciously decide to do. Sitting on the couch and kicking one leg out at a time while watching television is purposeful movement: you decided to do it. Walking to the bathroom or standing up from the couch is not typically purposeful movement because your body is already used to those activities.

One of the most common beliefs is that movement has to mean getting up and walking around. That’s actually not the case. If walking feels good and is accessible, a short walk can be great. But if walking is painful, it may not be the best option. Simple seated movements can be just as valuable.

Examples of purposeful movement you can do right now:

Bending and straightening your knees while sitting in a chair
Switching positions so your knee(s) are straight instead of bent while sitting
Raising up on your heels and toes in sitting or standing
Marching in place in sitting or standing
Taking your legs out and in while seated
Side stepping while standing
Arching and rounding your back in a seated cat-cow
Reaching your arms forward and bending at the waist when seated
Reaching your arms straight up in seated or standing
Opening and closing your hands and fingers
Rotating your head side to side and up and down
Reaching sideways over your head in seated or standing

As you can see, purposeful movement does not need to be complicated.

How to Pick Which Movements to Do

The movements you focus on will depend on your goals. If you want to get better at standing from a low chair, prioritize chair squats and knee bending throughout the day. If stairs are your focus, stair taps and lateral step ups are a great addition. Here are some examples organized by goal:

Working on standing up from a lower chair

Working on getting up from the floor

Working on going up stairs or inclines

Working on going down stairs or declines

Working on walking longer distances

How Many and How Often?

A good rule of thumb is to incorporate some form of movement about every hour. Many people set alarms during the day as a reminder, or use a fitness tracker or Apple Watch to prompt them. If your joint stiffness tends to come on quickly, you may benefit from moving a little more frequently than that.

As far as repetitions go: 10 is a good starting point for most movements. For seated movements you may be able to work up to 20 or 30 repetitions. For more challenging standing movements, even a few quality repetitions can be effective. The goal is to move enough to feel some degree of muscular or aerobic fatigue without overdoing it.

“I always thought walking was the answer. I had to walk as often as possible. I tried even though it hurt and I usually ended up paying for it later. I was told it was one of the only movements I could do for my arthritis.”

This is a common myth. If walking doesn’t feel great, there are many other options for purposeful movement. And even if walking does feel good, variety is crucial.

Why Purposeful Movement Helps

Making purposeful movement a consistent habit is one of the best things you can do for your joints and a great way to break through any plateaus you may be experiencing. If you have been working consistently and still feel like you haven’t reached your goals, think about how you can add more purposeful movement to your day that connects directly to that activity.

Incorporating more variety in movement can also help tremendously with swelling and stiffness.

The most important thing to remember: these movements should feel good. They should not increase pain significantly. By incorporating them throughout the day you will be increasing blood flow to your joints and muscles, which helps reduce tightness and stiffness. You will also be giving your cartilage the movement it needs to absorb nutrients. Even if you are bone on bone, movement can help reduce irritation and inflammation by cycling out inflammatory cells.

Key Takeaways

If you are feeling stuck in your progress, look at how often you are incorporating movement throughout your day, not just during workouts.
Purposeful movement is movement you consciously choose to do. It does not include typical daily tasks your body is already used to, like walking to the bathroom or standing up from the couch.
Incorporating purposeful movement every hour or so, for 10 to 30 or more repetitions depending on the movement, is a great starting point.
Movement helps reduce joint pain, nourish your cartilage, increase blood flow, and reduce joint stiffness.
Choose movements that align with your personal goals, whether that is stairs, walking, getting off the floor, or standing from a low chair.
These movements should feel good. If something significantly increases your pain, modify or choose a different option.