Fitness BY KATY SUNNASSEE AND STRETCH! Its not always easy to exercise when you have arthritis and youre in pain, but moving is one of the best ways to help the condition. We look at easy ways to get a good body stretch from the comfort of your own home W hen it comes to physical health and fitness, while aerobic exercises are hugely important, theres an aspect of fitness that tends to get neglected: flexibility. Unless youre devoted to yoga or Pilates, its likely you may not consider stretching that important. But to have full range of motion in all your joints, stretching is essential. A lot of people neglect stretching as it can seem boring after all, you dont feel as if youre doing much if youre standing still, says Nolan Sunnassee, a strength and conditioning coach from Essex (evo-fit.co.uk). However, to not stretch is to miss out on a whole host of benefits, including reducing any stiffness the day after exercising. Two types of stretch There are two main types of stretching: static and dynamic. The former is where you move into a stretch and hold the position for 30-60 seconds; the latter is often a swinging move, such as standing on one leg and swinging the other back and forth to mobilise and stretch the muscles in your legs and hip. If you incorporate the following five stretches into your daily routine, youll feel springier and more supple in no time. One note of warning though: Always do a brisk march on the spot or have a short walk before you do any stretches, to avoid pulling a muscle, advises Nolan. Nolan Sunnassee is an Olympic-level strength and conditioning coach, and helps clients lose weight, recover from injury and remobilise. 32 versusarthritis.org PP32-34_Inspire_Summer 2023_Simple Stretching.indd 32 17/05/2023 16:05