Stiff painful Joints? Let’s Fix That
Are your joints hurting more lately?
Stiff fingers?
Creaky knees?
An inflexible shoulder?
I’d ask you to raise your hand but it might hurt! 😢
Joint pain is common as we get older—more-so for women than for men, actually.
In women over 50, joint pain becomes more common and severe thanks to shifting hormones, especially 👑 Queen Estrogen 👑
Estrogen is a powerful anti-inflammatory, with receptors all over the body—muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments, and (you guessed it) joints.
When estrogen decreases, joint inflammation can increase.
Combine more joint inflammation with any degree of Osteoarthritis and you have a recipe for pain.
Fear not!
There are strategies that you can employ NOW to help alleviate even the most severe types of joint pain.
Why This Matters
When osteoarthritis sets in, pain and fear of making it worse often lead to less movement. But slowing down is exactly what causes things to get worse. Joint-friendly movement is essential—not just for managing pain now, but for protecting your mobility in the future.
FITNESS SIMPLIFIED
The healthiest joints have 4 attributes:
1. Thick cartilage acting as a shock/friction absorber
2. Smooth, thick bone surfaces at the joint itself
3. Lots of gelatinous synovial fluid lubricating the joint
4. Strong, flexible connective tissues (muscles, tendons and ligaments)Osteoarthritis—one of the most common causes of joint pain—impacts the cartilage and surfaces of the bones (#1 and #2 👆).
While you’re not able to rebuild cartilage and bone surfaces, you CAN improve those last 2 attributes (joint fluid & strong connective tissues).
This helps to decrease inflammation and make your joints feel and move significantly better.
Fitness Tip to Combat Joint Pain
Move as Often as Possible
Think “motion is lotion” for your joints.
👉 Fidget while sitting
Staying still too long causes joint fluid to dry up. Gentle movement—like swiveling your hips, pumping your ankles or bending your knees—keeps things lubricated.
👉 Mobilize as you stand
Don’t just shoot straight up—add a little wiggle. Rotate your hips, lift your legs, and ease into movement.
👉 Squeeze and release
Engage your glutes, core, pelvic floor—any muscle you can. This warms things up and supports your joints from all angles.
Bottom line: Keep moving—however you can, as often as you can.
Got cranky knees?
Try this simple, do-anywhere move to get your joint fluid flowing and build knee strength.
Stronger knees, better mobility, and easier daily movement?
That’s a win-win.
Deep Assisted Squats
- Hold onto the back of a chair or your counter, then sink deep into a squat. Try to bend knees as deep as you can.
- Push strong through legs to stand back up. Repeat for 8-10 reps.
- As you build strength, try holding on with one hand, then graduating to full body weight.
Extra tip: If your knees are very painful, just begin with very shallow squats. Rely on the chair or countertop to help offload your weight. Doing this daily, over time, will slowly strengthen the tissues surrounding the knee joint and help improve lubrication, which will ease discomfort.
Did You Know...
- It’s estimated that about 1 in every 4 people will develop hip osteoarthritis in their lifetime. In midlife, osteoarthritis becomes more common and severe in women vs. men. This makes women far more likely to undergo joint replacement surgery for their arthritis.
- Declining estrogen levels severely impact the natural integrity of your joints. Therefore, NOW is the time to rely on strength and movement to maintain joint health. It’s more important than ever!
- Applying heat to painful, arthritic joints improves the lubricating qualities of the joint fluids to help reduce pain. Use a heating pad on your sore and stiff joints first thing in the morning and at the end of the day.
NUTRITION SIMPLIFIED
Above, we discussed how 👑 estrogen is anti-inflammatory with receptors all over the body.
So, as estrogen starts to decrease in our perimenopausal years, joints can become more inflamed and painful.
This is the best time to pay closer attention to your diet
!Make sure you’re eating lots of anti-inflammatory foods, while also avoiding foods that could cause more inflammation.
Nutrition Tip to Combat Joint Pain
Eat to Beat Inflammation
Which foods are anti-inflammatory (meaning they have the ability to naturally lower joint inflammation level)?
✅ Fruits and vegetables (especially berries, leafy green and cruciferous veggies), lean beef, healthy fats (especially omega-3 rich foods like salmon, sardines, mackerel, tuna, flax meal and walnuts), whole grains, fermented foods, along with herbs and spices.
Which foods have a tendency to increase inflammation in your joints?
❌ Foods high in added sugars, refined carbohydrates (chips, crackers, breakfast cereals), excess saturated fats and trans fats (processed meats, fried foods, butter, full-fat dairy) and alcohol.
Don’t let this overhwelm you, though!
Simply focus on eating more fresh foods—and less packaged foods—as much as possible.
Ready to try a savory dish, filled with anti-inflammatory ingredients that your entire family will love?
This recipe has both turmeric (an anti-inflammatory spice) and yogurt (a fermented food).
You’re going to love it!
Tandoori Spiced Chicken with Herbed Yogurt Sauce
More ideas to Fight Inflammation
- Avocado Toast, made with whole grain bread, served with 2 boiled eggs and a cup of Greek yogurt, topped with berries and a few walnuts.
- Mix up some tuna salad with 1 can tuna and 1 can sardines; mix in a little mayo, chopped celery, pickles and fresh parsley, squeeze some lemon juice in for a bright flavor boost. Eat as tuna melt on whole grain toast or use endive boats. Drizzle some balsamic vinegar on top.
- Make Beef & Broccoli with thinly sliced inside top round or flank steak, serve over rice or riced cauliflower with kimchi on the side.
MINDSET SIMPLIFIED
Nothing makes us feel older than having painful joints throughout the day.
It is so tempting to pop a painkiller and avoid moving because it might hurt.Please don’t!
Instead, remember that “motion is lotion”.
Because osteoarthritis is considered a “wear and tear” condition, it’s natural to be fearful of using that joint altogether.
It’s understandable to be afraid that it might cause more wear and tear.
But, in truth, NOT moving your joints at all will ultimately make a painful joint worse.
We don’t want that!Don’t be afraid to move.
Good, quality movements help arthritic joints function so much better.
Mindset Tip to Combat Joint Pain
Think: Motion is Lotion
THE TAKEAWAY
The realities of changes in our bodies through the perimenopause years and into post-menopause cannot be avoided, but they can be influenced. Now is the time to implement foundational strategies that will help tamp down inflammation and keep your joints moving in healthy, pain-free ways.
- Move as Often as Possible
- Eat to Beat Inflammation
- Think: Motion is Lotion
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Self Care Simplified podcast
Strong, Safe, and Ageless: Midlife Strength Training with Megan Dahlman
319. 3 Simple Hip Mobility Exercises for Hip Osteoarthritis
Ep 348. Inflammation & Joint Pain Totally Reversed (No Medication!)
SPECIAL RESOURCE
Find yourself dealing with knee pain, but unsure if it’s actually arthritis? This video can really help clarify why your knee might be hurting, and — more importantly — what YOU can do about it. Starting today!
Until next week... Be strong
