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Sports for hypermobility?

I was diagnosed with joint hypermobility syndrome a couple of years ago so I've had to be careful and avoiding sports that can damage my joints. These days I keep myself semi-fit and my joints in order by doing a combination of tai chi, pilates, weightlifting and HIIT at home in the morning, plus walking. But it's not particularly fun and I miss doing actual sports, especially of the outdoorsy and social kind. Does anyone who has the same condition have advice about what fun sports to do? I know cycling and swimming are good for this but sadly my neighbourhood is covered with broken glass - not great for cycling - and my local swimming pool has way too much chlorine in its water, so I'm looking for alternatives. Thanks in advance!
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@SunsetRunner.. so I have never heard of this syndrome, so I looked it up. Aside from articles sighting why people get it - there isn't too much out there, actually nothing out there for what to do if you have it. I am curious what replies you will get here....I am looking forward to learning something new.

Elena | Pennsylvania

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Indeed, there's not much info available, sadly. I've found some advocacy and support websites for EDS sufferers (Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome - a more extreme version of hypermobility). They are very good but I only have the standard JHS (joint hypermobility syndrome) so a lot of things differ. 

 

I know that one should avoid doing high impact sports like basketball, trampoline, volleyball or running on concrete because of the damage to your joints and risk of dislocation. Especially yoga and Olympic-type gymnastics or circus contorsions are a big no-no because they stretch your already loose ligaments too much, which damages them permanently. Sadly, these three are also practices that people with JHS tend to be good at (due to the extra bendiness) and gravitate towards, but these will literally destroy your body if you're hypermobile.

 

There's very little info around about what is actually good for you, sports-wise. I know that targeted weightlifting is good because strengthening certain muscles helps stabilise joints and keeping things from hyperextending too much. Tai Chi and Pilates are good too for the same reasons, they help with stability. Regular cycling and swimming are fine because low impact and they don't involve overextension. But apart from that... I don't really know. Can't seem to find anything. Climbing or archery would be bad for my fingers... Tennis bad for the shoulders... I used to love ice-skating but I don't know if I should still do it...

 

Hopefully fellow "bendies" on this forum might have some tips. Fingers crossed!

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With your condition, I doubt anyone is going to propose soccer or football or anything like that.

 

If it were me, I would compete in olympic weightlifting or powerlifting. Weights are really good for the joints. The competition will get that fire burning again. Lifting weights can get monotonous, and having a competition on such-and-such a day is good motivation.

 

 

Work out...eat... sleep...repeat!
Dave | California

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I also have joint hypermobility. I’m 28 and would describe myself as pretty unfit. I do things like take the stairs at work, take the occasional walk, and sporadically do PT exercises, but I’m in joint related pain all the time (lately I can’t barely lift my arms above my head).  I’ve never sought out a proper diagnosis from a doctor, but I’ve been through a lot of physical therapy, and that’s basically what I’ve gathered from any PT who looks at me.  [Side rant: doctors always tend to just be like “hmm wow I don’t really know you’re in so much pain that’s a head scratcher!” But, any time I’ve been to PT the therapist is immediately like “oh wow you’re bendy don’t move your body like that please no wonder you’re in so much pain.”]

 

I have no real positive advice except definitely don’t get into rock climbing because I did and it broke my heart when I had to give it up last year.  It’s not just your fingers.  You need an extraordinary amount of joint stability for rock climbing because you’ll be literally hanging your entire body weight from a single joint (ex: your shoulder).  Shoulders issues are big even for climbers with regular mobility so if you’re hypermobile you have to work that much harder at making sure your joints are stable enough to climb, and I wasn’t able to do that.  

 

So I’m also looking for fun activities to get my body moving.  I recently got a bike that I’m going to try to get to into, but I need a new seat because that’s generating pain too (for reasons unrelated to hypermobility).  I’ll also have to ease into it pretty slowly so it doesn’t be mess up my arms/shoulders too much. My PT actually didn’t recommend swimming because he thought it would give me too much opportunity to extend the thoracic part of my spine too much (if I recall correctly).  I’m also pretty clumsy at my strokes so I think it would be really difficult to keep my movement controlled enough for my shoulders if I were swimming laps.  I have thought about trying out one of the super gentle water aerobics class though! 

 

So yeah, any other suggestions are super welcome.

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I am 43 and the idea of hypermobility was not even introduced to me until I was 38. Last year I saw a geneticist and was officially diagnosed to Benign Joint Hypermobility Syndrome. Unfortunately I have found that the level of knowledge varies greatly depending on who you are talking to. Swimming had been recommended to me because it is low impact, but I  was cautioned to take it easy at first because the water provides resistance no matter what direction you are moving. Cycling is good, but proper form is important for joint health. Recently I started doing Aqua Zumba which I am really enjoying.

 

Finding a good PT who understands BJHS has been the most beneficial thing for me. We also have a new dr who has been extremely helpful for my daughter who has also been diagnosed with BJHS.

 

HTH.

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Hi! I have was diagnosed with hyper mobility syndrome and just like you I couldn’t find any sports until my doctor said that Ballet is good for hyper mobile people as long as you are careful and know your limits! Started ballet when I was about 14 and have been doing it ever since! Different for every person though! I hope you find what’s your looking for! 

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I know this is basically a year after your original post, but I can relate, and I figure, a little more opinion on the matter won't hurt:

 

I've had hyper-mobile joints for longer than I've known the term, and having been active in contact sports all my life (goal keeper for soccer year round for 14 years, t-ball/softball, as well as basketball and various martial arts), I've completely ruined my joints. As it is now, I'm struggling to continue one last year of soccer while dealing with constant pain from my knees and shoulders in particular. I'm now at the point where I am trying to find a substitute that keeps me active, but won't hurt my joints more than they already are. It's difficult, because from what I've been told by my PT, this isn't something that will ever go away, and any movement is going to continuing wearing my joints down, just some will do so faster than others. Biking and Swimming as always have been an option. It seems out of the limited resources out there about this condition, those are the two every one agrees on. My PT recommended both as a way to strengthen what they called "small muscles", muscles that weren't visible, but were largely responsible for helping support joints. I was told in no uncertain terms, that I would have to continue physical therapy on my own, for the rest of my life if I wanted to keep in good health, and that I had to minimize contact sports. From my experience though, I think it varies for each person.

 

For example, up to this year, I was fine running on grass and mulch surfaces, while concrete would leave my knees swollen and sore for a day or two. I find several short sprints are fine, while long slow runs are difficult. Flat surfaces are better than hills, hills are better than stairs. Other people I know can't run at all, and some are fine with slow jobs, but sprints are out of the question. 

 

With that in mind, I would recommend looking at what activities you can handle, and in what levels of activity. Casual games of Ultimate Frisbee for example might still be an option if you can run short distances to catch it, and if throwing it doesn't aggravate your shoulders. If you can still walk long distances, try hiking on easy to moderate difficulty trails near you. The surface is usually softer than pavement, and if you find parks with better maintained trails, there shouldn't be too many roots to trip you up. Horseback riding is another option. It doesn't appear outwardly to be athletic, but to ride well it requires heavy muscle use with minimal impact on the joints, and it still gets the adrenaline running for most people. In addition, with horseback riding, you can go further than just riding around a course, but can ride trails in allowed areas, getting more adventure and going at your own pace. 

 

In warmer months different types of boating could be an option. I've always enjoyed kayaking and canoeing, and have found it never really put strain on my shoulders, but still gave a decent amount of exercise over time. My PT recommended rowing machines to improve strength in my shoulders, and I've contemplated finding rowing teams to be part of because of it.

 

Also as far as cycling, if you cash out for a hybrid bike (a type of bike that shares characteristics with both mountain bikes and road bikes) their tires typically are resistant to broken glass and even nails. I have one myself and haven't had any issues with it for years. I obviously can't say for sure how well it would work in your area, since I don't know how bad the glass is, but I've rode mine over an entire parking lot of old nails and glass and never had problems. The hybrid bikes make it possible to ride roads and easy trails with ease. It's definitely something to look into if you think biking would be something you're interested in. There's always trails designed for biking, or multi-use trails available if you can get to them. 

 

But again, it really depends on what your body is capable of and what your personal interests are. I would suggest experimenting. Take it slow at first and really self-evaluate after participating if that activity is something you can keep up with. If it's only minor aches and pains from participating you can ask a medical professional what can be done to help with that (besides pain relievers, there are some teas and creams that help promote joint health, and reduce wear and tear). 

 

So that's my personal recommendations. I'm not a medical professional so obviously take this with a grain of salt and get an educated opinion with someone who knows more about your particular issue. But hopefully this helps point you in the right direction. 🙂

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I’m in the same boat. I struggled FOR YEARS with the same symptoms and every time I went to the dr I was simply told you have a bit of inflammation

 

long story short I made an appointment at a rheumatologist out of complete desperation. I started to think I was a hypochondriac seeing nobody can find anything wrong.

 

I am so thankful to God that I found this dr because within one appointment I FINALLY had answers.

I was diagnosed with hyperjoint mobility syndrome AND fibromyalgia.

 

I’m desperate to stay fit but everything hurts me all the time

I, however, decided to continue swimming because that is only thing that really controls my weight with the least impact. 

I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IF ANYBODY HAS BETTER ADVISE BECAUSE I CANT CONTINUE LIKE THIS

 

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I wish I had an answer. Swimming didn't work for me, as it turned my hips and knees in a way that really caused me pain, which stinks because I love the water. I also loved yoga and was told I had to stop because I was too flexible and my muscles weren't strong enough to "hold me together" and it was also causing inflammation and pain.

It sounds to me like you are doing all the right things, or at least things I would have recommended, like pilates, tai chi, weights, walking. As for recreational sports, there doesn't seem to be much that is low impact enough. I never heard about ballet being good, but it makes sense and was really interesting to hear (not that I could take up ballet at 46 year old, ha).

I just googled and this was interesting:  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6196975/

It definitely (as far as a 1 person representative in a study can be) backed up my feelings about swimming and hypermobility. Maybe you should take up squash? 😄

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defiantly low impact sports are best. I grew up as a competitive skier/Speed skater, and when I was 14 I was diagnosed with Hyper mobility Syndrome. I had to quit Skiing bc of how high impact it was (which was devastating at the time.) but was able to keep speed skating! Still to this day I love Speed Skating and it is VERY low impact and causes me very little pain.  It’s all about YOUR limits though and it is different for everyone. 😊

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Hi! Sorry I’m a bit late to this conversation haha but did I thought ballet was quite bad for us as it requires you to extend a lot? Can you please explain more as I used to dance ballet and would love nothing more than for it to be the answer to my problems 🙂

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Hello! I know I’m rather late to this thread, but I just wanted to know if you’ve learnt more about the condition? I used to go to the gym 2-3 times a week, bodypump (weights) sometimes followed by bodycombat one evening and then treadmill on the other night(I don’t think I was really taking care of myself, yes I exercised but I just pushed myself on lifting heavier weights or running faster and further that I wasn’t fuelling my body properly with the right foods, vitamins and minerals to recover properly). When life got too hectic (kids, work, wedding, uni) I decided to have a gym-break and next thing I knew pain symptoms started and after bugging my GP I got my joint hyper mobility disorder diagnosis. I’ve lived in hell ever since, had to quit my job as there was a lot of walking involved, spent days bedridden due to pain, and had to watch my kids become so much more reliant on their dad as they just learnt that mum wasn’t going to help/play with them. 

 

However, I’m more aware of my limits, I’ve started taking supplements (glucosamine, collagen, and magnesium), going to chiropractor often and my situation has got better. I’m at least able to sustain a part time job (something I wouldn’t have been able to do a couple years ago). I think I’ve got myself up to a place where I can start exercising again to really strengthen my small muscles, ligaments, and muscles around my joints but I’m so scared of doing it wrong or being in pain that I haven’t begun. I’ve called a PT and is being inducted in a few days. 

 

Is there any exercise that actually helps? And allows me to live somewhat a normal life?! I’m at the point where I cannot go shopping, I can’t take my children to the park, carry them, or run around with them. 

Any help and advice is welcomed! Gentle or harsh! 

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