Stiffness in the bones and joints may prevent you from doing some of things that you need to do or enjoy doing. The inability to do certain things that you used to do when you were younger can definitely be frustrating and lead you to believe that there isn’t any hope. But there is hope, besides strength training for building muscles and stronger bones, there is also range of motion exercises which can be done by older people as well.

What is range of motion exercises?
Range of motion exercises is a type of stretching exercises. When doing this kind of exercise it is always best to do them slowly and fluidly. If at any time you feel pain you should stop. Range of motion exercises is particularly useful for arthritis patients.
The exercises fall in to 3 categories

• Active – The patient doesn’t need any help during the exercise
• Active assistive – The patient feels pain and needs assistance.
• Passive – The patient needs complete assistance.