Rheumatoid Arthritis and Exercise - Stretching - Lower

Your lower body consists of your hips, knees, ankles, and feet; it is important to make sure that these parts of your body are kept in good condition since they bear the brunt of your weight during most of your activities, such as walking, standing, lifting, etc.

Remember to make slow smooth movements; don’t jerk your knee into a straight position. When doing these exercises you should feel the pull of the muscles in your legs only, if you feel any strain in your lower back you are doing the exercise improperly or are not utilizing the proper posture.

Hips

Lay on your right side use your right hand to hold your head up and place your left hand on the floor in front of you for balance. Bend your right knee slightly, keeping your left leg straight, slowly lift it up about 2 feet in the air or as high as you can without letting your hip roll backwards, slowly lower it back down. Flip over and bend your left knee slightly, keeping your right leg straight, slowly lift it up about 2 feet or as high as you can without letting your hip roll backwards, then slowly lower it back down. Repeat 10 times for each leg

Sit in a firm chair and put your right leg straight out in front of you off the floor, slowly turn your leg from your hip so your foot is pointed towards your back, then slowly turn it back so your foot points forward. Place your right foot back down and lift your left leg off the floor, slowly turn it so your left foot points towards your back, then slowly turn it back so your foot points forward. Repeat 5 to 10 times for each leg.

Knees

Sit in on a firm chair, hold your abdominal muscles in and put your right leg out straight in front of you with your toes pointing up and your foot is off the ground, hold for 10 seconds; slowly lower your right foot to the floor, then slowly lift your left leg straight out in front of you with your toes pointing up and your foot off the ground, hold for 10 seconds, then slowly lower it back down. Repeat 5 to 10 times alternately for each leg.

Lay on the floor or on a firmly padded surface on your stomach, bend your right knee back bringing your heal to your buttock or as far as you can without arching your back or lifting your hips, if you can use your left hand and grab your right ankle, hold for 10 to 20 seconds, slowly release your grip on your ankle and lower your leg back down. Bend your left knee back and bring your heal up to your buttock, if you can use your right hand and grab your left ankle, hold this position for 10 to 20 seconds, then slowly lower your leg back down. Repeat 5 to 10 times alternately for each leg.

Ankles and Feet

Lay down with your feet pointing up; slowly bend your feet towards you as far as you can then bend them back to the starting position. Repeat 10 times

Sit with your heels on the ground, wiggle your toes and try to spread them out, and hold for 5 seconds, but be careful not to spread them out too far you could give yourself a cramp. Repeat 2 to 3 times.

Sit with your knees together and heels apart, swing your feet away from each other stretching your small toe out away from each other, then swing your feet together and stretch your big toe out towards each other. Repeat 5 to 10 times.

If you have a set of stairs you can use them for this exercise, if you don’t a small sturdy riser of any type will do, as long as it can support your weight. Place the balls of your feet on the edge of the bottom stair, hold on to the handrail for balance; lift yourself up onto the balls of your feet, then slowly lower yourself down, so that your heels drop just below the edge of the stair. Repeat 5 to 10 times.