6 Exercises That Reverse Joint Aging

Mobility coach Alisa Zuravskaja (yes, formerly Szyman; maybe she got divorced? We’re not sure what happened, but her name has changed on her socials, so we’re changing it here too!) shows us how:

3 pillars, one focus

The three pillars of anti-aging exercises are cardio, strength, and mobility, with the latter being critical as mobility is often overlooked despite being essential for maintaining function and independence with age.

Here are 6 exercises that make for a very good routine:

1. Thoracic rotation: kneel with one foot forward, put your hands behind your head, rotate your opposite elbow towards your raised knee, then return slowly while keeping the movement controlled, to improve your upper and middle spinal mobility.
2. Superman: lie face down with your arms extended, lift your arms, chest, and legs together, briefly hold, then lower under control to strengthen your back extensors, glutes, rear deltoids, and deep postural muscles that help keep your spine upright.
3. Single-leg balance with head turns: stand on one leg and slowly turn your head left and right while maintaining your balance, to challenge your vestibular system, improve coordination, and help reduce your risk of falls. When you’re ready, you can progress it by standing on a cushion or balance pad, and/or by closing your eyes (please be careful).
4. Hip controlled articular rotations (CARs): stand on one leg or kneel, then move your lifted knee through the largest slow, controlled circle possible while keeping your upper body still, to maintain your hip joint’s full range of motion and improve joint control.
5. Active deep squat: lower into the deepest squat you can while keeping your heels on the floor, pause briefly, then stand up under control to build leg strength while actively training mobility in your hips, knees, and ankles.
6. Active hang: hang from a pull-up bar for as long as you can comfortably manage to strengthen your grip, improve shoulder stability, and decompress your spine, gradually increasing your hang time as your strength improves.

For more on all of this plus visual demonstrations, enjoy:

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Want to learn more?

You might also like:

Age & Aging: What Can (And Can’t) We Do About It? ← for more on the many metrics of biological age, most of which we can do something about

Take care!