How to Help Hypermobility?

To effectively manage hypermobility, focusing on gentle exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, and using proper footwear are essential. Here's how to approach these strategies:

Strategies to Manage Hypermobility

Here's a detailed breakdown of how to help manage hypermobility:

1. Gentle Exercise

• Start Slowly: If you're new to exercise, begin with low-impact activities like swimming or cycling. This helps build strength and stability without putting excessive strain on your joints.

• Consistency is Key: Regular, gentle exercise can improve joint support and reduce symptoms, whereas inactivity can exacerbate hypermobility issues.

  • Examples of suitable exercises:
    • Swimming: Offers full-body movement with minimal joint impact.
    • Cycling: Strengthens leg muscles and improves cardiovascular health without excessive stress on joints.
    • Walking: A simple way to stay active, start with short distances and gradually increase.

2. Maintain a Healthy Weight

• Reduce Joint Stress: Excess weight places additional strain on hypermobile joints. Maintaining a healthy weight reduces this burden and can decrease pain.
• Balanced Diet: Incorporate a balanced diet rich in nutrients to support overall joint health.

3. Supportive Footwear

• Proper Shoes: Wearing supportive shoes can provide better stability and reduce the strain on your feet and ankles.
• Orthotics: If recommended by a podiatrist, use special insoles (orthotics) to provide extra support and correct any biomechanical issues.

Summary of Strategies

Strategy	Explanation
Gentle Exercise	Start with low-impact activities like swimming or cycling to strengthen joint support.
Maintain Healthy Weight	Reduce stress on hypermobile joints by maintaining a healthy weight.
Supportive Footwear	Wear supportive shoes and use orthotics (if prescribed) to enhance stability and reduce strain.

By following these guidelines, you can manage symptoms associated with hypermobility and enhance your overall joint health and stability.