Can Bodyweight Exercises Fix Creaky Joints?

Recently, I asked a few of my past customers why they decided to start an exercise program consisting of bodyweight-only exercises.

Most of the answers I received contained the expected answers.

A person wanted to get in shape, build muscle, lose fat. Some people hate going to the gym. Others simply don't have time.

But one person told me that the reason he decided to start a bodyweight only exercise program is because his joints were hurting from weight lifting and he heard that bodyweight only exercises can help to heal joints.

That Got Me Scratching My Head...

At first, I thought the idea of body weight exercises "curing" joint pain sounded like wishful thinking.

But then I remembered that my own joints and tendons actually seemed healthier and stronger when I was doing these body weight only exercises.

Was there actually something to this?

I decided to find out.

Weight Training & Joint Pain:

Partners In Crime

First of all, let me say that I like weight training and I am not in any way saying that weight training is bad for you.

However, as any long time weight trainer will tell you... your joints start to take a beating after extended periods of weight training.

Especially if you are training with heavy weight and low reps.

Usually, this type of joint pain is not permanent and will subside once the trainer takes a short break from weight training.

How Bodyweight-Only Exercises Can Help

There is nothing magical about bodyweight exercises that will suddenly make all your aches and pains up and vanish.

However, there are a few characteristics about bodyweight exercises that can dramatically improve joint health and offer relief from the aches and pains associated with weight training.

The first characteristic of bodyweight exercises is a lighter load.

If you go from benching 400lbs and instead start doing push-ups using just your own body weight as resistance, your joints will experience a tremendous amount of relief as they are no longer subject to the heavy load of weight training.

How Acid Can Heal The Burn

The main reason that bodyweight exercises seem to help alleviate joint pain is because they are usually done with higher reps (more than 15 per set).

High rep ranges cause the body to create lactic acid. Lactic acid can cause a slight burning sensation in your muscles. For example, if you run up 100 flights of stairs, the muscles in your legs will start to burn.

This burning can be slightly uncomfortable (although experienced trainers will typically enjoy the burn to some degree)... however it serves a very important purpose.

The presence of lactic acid actually stimulates the body to repair tendons and can therefore lead to increased joint health.

For this reason, many experienced weight lifters may enjoy a bodyweight-only workout program while taking time out from the grind of heavy lifting.

A Bodyweight-Only Workout Program

Again, I'm not claiming that bodyweight-only exercises are any type of cure or magic pill. But many trainers use bodyweight-only exercises to relieve joint pain and prepare their body for the next bout of heavy iron work.