Stiffness & Pain In The Elbows? Try These Easy Exercises For Relief

Elbow pain can be very uncomfortable to live with. Unless there is a specific reason for the pin, it may be due to a tennis elbow. Tennis elbow suggests overuse of the elbow joint that might cause pain and discomfort to the elbows. The best way to avoid tennis elbow is to stretch regularly and not overwork the joint. In this article, we discuss some easy-to-follow exercises that can significantly lower the pain in your elbows.

Here are some easy to follow elbow exercises to help reduce pain and stiffness:

Elbow bend

Elbow bend is one of the easiest exercises to follow and can be performed by beginners and all age groups. Here's how to perform elbow bend:

• Stand straight
• Now, lift your right hand with your hand-formed in a fist
• Lift it up to the should, bending your elbow
• Straighten your hand and repeat this at least 20 times on each side into 4 sets

90-degree wrist flex

This exercise is a great stretching exercise to promote flexibility in your elbow as well as wrist muscles and joints. Here's how you can practice 90-degree wrist flex also known as wrist extensor flex:

• Stand straight and extend your right arm to its fullest
• Now, lift your hand and place straight facing front
• At this point your hand would I'm mitt a stopping motion
• Now, take your left hand and use it to push your palm back towards you
• Hold this stretch for about 20 seconds and release
• Repeat on both sides at least 3-5 times

Wrist turn

The wrist turn is very similar to the 90-degree wrist flex exercise. Here's how to perform wrist flex

• Stand straight and lift your arm in front of you
• Now, instead of a ‘stopping' sign like we performed in the above exercise, we lift and hold the hand facing down
• In this position, your nails should be facing the floor
• Now, use the left hand to push your hand inwards (opposite of the above exercise)
• Repeat for a few seconds and repeat on the other side
• Practice this exercise into 3-5 sets

Towel twist

Towel twist is another easy-to-follow exercise that can help you bring some comfort to your elbows. As the name suggests, you will require a small size towel to perform this stretch. However, you can also substitute that for any other piece of clothing that might replicate the size. Here's how to perform a towel twist:

• Sit straight and extend your arms from your elbow up
• Now, grab a towel and fold it into a 10-14 inches cylinder
• As the name suggests, you are executed to twist the towel in opposite directions from your hands
• This exercise enables various muscles across your arms
• Repeat this exercise 20 times and in 4 sets

Wrist extension

This exercise might require you to use equipment such as dumbbells. In case you don't have dumbbells you can substitute them with half litre water bottles, etc. Here's how to perform wrist extension:

• Sit and rest your right elbow over your thigh
• Now, hold your dumbbell your wrist facing downwards
• Lift your hand but the wrist
• During this exercise, your elbow is supposed to rest on your thigh and the only thing moving should be your hand from the wrist up
• Repeat this exercise at least 10 times on each side and perform a few sets 

Finally, eating foods rich in protein, calcium and other nutrients can help maintain better health of your joints and muscles. Furthermore, practicing stretching and other workout regimes that increase overall body flexibility is helpful in reducing joint pains.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.