Eliminate Winter Stiffness

Every year, as I get older, this cold winter weather seems to settle deeper and deeper into my bones.  My muscles tense up and my joints sometimes ache when I want them to flex.  I’m used to stiffness setting in once in a while and can usually eliminate it with a few stretches or a hot shower.  But for some reason, winter stiffness stays with me until the snow melts and the tulips break the ground.  I feel it deep in my bones, it goes with me to work and it’s even with me when I crawl into bed at night. The perpetual soreness made me crabby and the stiffness made me want to be sedentary but sitting around only aggravated the soreness so I decided to find a solution short of moving south during the winter months.  Turning to the Internet, I soon realized that the problem was not in the fact that I wasn’t putting forth enough effort to improve the problem, but the fact was that most stretching techniques simply don’t work to cure stiffness.

The good news is that it is possible to soothe inflexible muscles with a few simple movements– the key word here is movement because they require motion versus static stretching.  Before seeking treatment for “tight” muscles, it is important to diagnose the cause your inflexibility. I discovered that muscles which are stiff have simply built up a resistance to movement. This comes as opposed to muscle shortness, in which the muscle has actually lost length and thus the ability to move through a full range of motion.

So how do you tell the difference?  Try placing your hand on your stiff muscle while moving it’s corresponding body part through it’s available range of motion. For example, squeeze your bicep while bending the arm. Was the arm able to move through the full range of motion as compared to your other side? Did the bicep strongly contract? Generally this can be compared to your other limb/side to test range of motion.  If the range of motion is limited or the muscle doe not activate strongly, chances are your muscle has been shortened. In this situation– which is significantly different from stiffness-holding a traditional static stretch at the end range of motion for around 15-20 minutes creates a strong enough signal to add muscle length.  Done over a period of 3-4 weeks, end range stretching once per day can greatly improve ROM in chronically shortened body parts.  Both caused by remaining in prolonged positions (hunching forward in a chair, laying on one side in bed, etc), stiffness is the early fore-bearer of shortness. But the best cure for this problem is not holding still, but rather moving the muscles through a full range of motion.

One common misconception amongst new exercise seekers is that strength training builds chronic stiffness. But if your idea of stretching is reaching to hit the snooze button come Monday, try comparing all the hours spent seated during the week versus working out in the gym.  If you spend more than three hours seated perhaps, exercises which work the muscles through the full range of motion (strength training) are among the best ways to combat years of accumulated stiffness. If you have already determined which muscles are stiff versus short, the best plan for attack for curing stiffness are dynamic (moving) stretches.

Much like hinges on a door, certain joints built for movement (hips, ankles and mid-back) so focus should be placed on these areas of the body. This will in turn eliminate stiffness and/or pain in areas such as the knees and low back that often bear the load for these areas. With this in mind, included below is a head to toe mobility routines which focuses on decreased stiffness. In the beginning, this sequence should be performed on a daily basis to decrease stiffness and 1-3 days thereafter depending on your age-shoot to add a day of mobility work with each decade of age.

Ankle tilts:

Begin in a neutral stance keeping most of your weight on the lunging leg.  Make sure toes are facing straight ahead of both feet.  Step out in to a lateral lunge and tilt the non-lunging foot to roll the inside of the ankle along the floor. Perform 10 rep and hold each for 2-3 seconds

Ankle circles:

Lift one leg in front of you and perform circles clockwise/counterclockwise. Concentrate on feeling the movement at the ankle bone-rather than the toes. The key to hitting different parts of the ankle is to perform this drill with the toes pointed in various positions: toes pointed down in/out/straight, toes pointed up in/out/straight,  Perform 15-20 circles in each directions.

Hip circles:

Begin in a neutral stance and lift one leg in front of your body.  Keep the heel of the stance leg on the ground and pelvis straight and level.  Do circles clockwise/counterclockwise with the active leg.  Perform 15-20 circles in each directions.  Pelvic tilt/circles

Bend knees slightly while leaning back on the heels.  Place hands on your hips and draw the navel in to the stomach to activate the abdominal muscles. Push the pelvis forward and backwards making sure to use the hip rather than the legs.  Perform 15-20 circles/tilts in all directions.  Repeat this motion in a counter clockwise/counterclockwise rotation.

Spinal glides:

Begin sitting in a neutral position with one leg elevated.  Take a deep breath in and exhale while rounding the mid-back.  Inhale and reverse this motion by lifting your sternum forward and up.  This movement is coming from the mid-back, so be certain to keep the low back as still as possible.  Perform 10 rep and hold each for 2-3 seconds.

Neck glides:

Begin seated with the head and upper back straight (versus slouched forward).  While keeping the chin level, move the head and neck back and forth.  This movement should come from the neck, so be certain to keep the shoulders, chest and mid-back still.  Perform 10 rep and hold each for 2-3 seconds,

I began to notice a difference about three days into this routine.  Much to my surprise, here we are in the middle of a cold spell and my stiffness is totally gone.  I continue to do these exercises every other day now and it seems to be keeping the aches and pains at bay.  If stiffness is settling into your bones, you might want to think about trying this same routine yourself.’; //leave this line

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