Is Calisthenics Good Or Bad For Your Joints?

If you are struggling with joint pain, the normal action would be to get bed rest and consult a doctor.

But to get better, it’s important to work out slowly but surely by focusing on certain exercises that can increase body mass correctly. This is where Calisthenics can prove worthy by allowing people with existing joint pain to rediscover their range of movement.

Moreover, Calisthenics improve mental health, contribute to fat loss and help you get the ideal physique. That said, you must know about certain risks associated with this training routine. 

This guide answers the question – is Calisthenics good or bad for your joints? That short answer is good, provided you work it out right. For a more detailed insight, keep reading.

Is Calisthenics Good Or Bad For Your Joints?

Whether Calisthenics exercises are good or bad for your joints is difficult to say. If done right after taking expert advice, Calisthenics workouts can help you stay in shape and are one of the best bodyweight exercises.

On the flip side, there is always a risk of injuring yourself when practising muscular and aerobic endurance. If you want to determine whether Calisthenics training might damage your joints further, ask the following questions – 

  • How often do you work out?
  • Are you lifting heavy weights, and how much?
  • What is your range of motion during working out?
  • What equipment do you use?
  • Does your muscle group have enough time to recover?
  • Do you warm up and stretch before working out?
  • Are you struggling with knee aches or joint problems?

If you find the answers to these questions, avoiding or adopting strength training routines will be easier.

How Can Calisthenics Help?

In this section, we have highlighted 4 reasons why weight training with Calisthenics can help you live a healthy life while working the core muscles.

1. Less Stress

Many people prefer Calisthenics to work the lower body and reduce stress to better their physical and mental health. It is now known that people who are stressed are more likely to experience pain in their joints; that’s where Calisthenics can help.

Instead of opting for different exercises, simple Calisthenics will release pent-up anger and frustration. In fact, you can use negative energy to fuel positive emotions when exercising.

2. Flexibility

Just like weight-lifting, Calisthenics works for multiple muscle groups and increases joint strength for greater flexibility. People with arthritis or knee pain have benefited from flexible joints because the stiffness has reduced.

Besides keeping the joints healthy, it improves your overall range of motion to align with your fitness goals.

3. Build Muscle

Some of the biggest benefits of Calisthenics, including keeping the joints active, are building strength and promoting muscle gain. Along with the muscles surrounding the joints, it enhances the resilience of the inner body parts, like ligaments and tendons.

In other words, lifting weights through resistance training will allow the joints to absorb and support the shock of movement, reducing swelling or pain.

4. Lubrication

We have found that Calisthenics guarantees greater body awareness because more people realise how their body functions. For instance, the joints are lubricated by synovial fluid, and regularly working out increases the circulation of this fluid to keep the joints healthy.

Pain and discomfort decrease while movement increases, thanks to the full range of exercises of a Calisthenics workout.

How To Protect Your Body During A Calisthenics Workout?

Here are some of the best ways to stay safe during bodyweight training and avoid making the same mistake as others.

1. Workout Gloves

Wrist wraps are essential to stay safe, and many gloves come with in-built wraps to protect you from injuries. This is essential when performing exercises like pull-ups, push-ups or bench presses, whereby the entire body weight is concentrated on specific points.

Using wraps minimises the chances of additional stress on the wrists and reduces excessive back extension. 

2. Ankle, Knee, Elbow Sleeves

Like wrist wraps, you must also use sleeves to protect the ankles, knees and elbows when building muscular strength. Sleeves ensure less stiffness and stability through extra compression, better circulation, and reduced pain.

Most importantly, sleeves improve your form and lower the chances of injury, particularly from scratches or accidental falls.

3. Resistance Band

One of the best pieces of equipment you can invest in is resistance bands, as using the bands reduces pressure and stress on the joints more than traditional weights. People with existing knee problems or joint pain will find these bands helpful. 

Moreover, their lightweight and compact design makes resistance bands ideal for outdoor Calisthenics. You can work all the important muscles of the body, even guaranteeing proper recovery with the bands.

4. Workout Shoes

Proper footwear goes a long way in reducing stress on the feet, knees and ankles. The best workout shoes have a solid foundation with proper cushioning and stability for reducing lower joint pain.

We recommend shoes with a shock-absorbing sole and high design for explosive training sessions. 

5. Recovery

Along with increased physical activity and working with free weights, recovering after a workout session is equally important. Overtraining can prove detrimental and cause the joints to wear out, which will make it challenging to carry out everyday tasks.

Hence, it’s important to incorporate the following to live a healthy life – 

Common Mistakes To Avoid

In this section, we discuss common mistakes people make when starting Calisthenics that increase joint pain.

  • Irregular workout routines
  • Using too much weight
  • Not stretching before and after working out
  • Forgetting to warm up
  • Overexerting in each workout session

Calisthenics – Necessity Or A Threat?

To get the most out of your Calisthenics routine, it’s essential to have a proper workout schedule. For the best results, you can work out from Monday to Friday, with the weekend being rest days.

Perform explosive workouts on Monday and Friday, regular exercises on Tuesday, static exercises on Wednesday and whole-body exercises on Thursday. Also, follow a proper diet and remember the most important meal is the one you eat after the workout.

You can refer to this guide for all the details, and make sure to use the proper equipment to achieve the desired results!

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