Why do I suddenly feel stiffer?
The temperature drops. The mornings get darker. The heating goes on.
And suddenly your knees feel a little stiffer getting out of bed. Your back takes longer to get going. Or that shoulder you haven’t thought about all summer starts making itself known again.
Sound familiar?
Plenty of people tell us their aches and pains feel worse as autumn arrives.
But is the weather actually to blame?
The answer isn’t quite that simple.
Research into the relationship between weather and musculoskeletal pain has produced mixed results. What we do know is that our routines often change considerably at this time of year.
We walk less. Spend more time indoors. Sit for longer. Then a dry weekend arrives and we try to squeeze the garden, DIY and a long walk into one day.
So rather than blaming the weather, it can be more useful to look at how you’re moving as the seasons change.
Keep walking, even when summer has gone
Walking is one of the easiest ways to keep moving through autumn and winter.
You don’t need perfect weather or a huge step target.
Try to keep your walks regular, even if they’re shorter. Wear footwear that feels secure when paths are wet and give yourself a few minutes to get moving if you feel stiff when you first set off.
Most importantly, notice if pain is beginning to change what you do.
Are you cutting your usual walk short because of your knee?
Avoiding hills because of your hip?
Choosing not to go because you’re worried your back will hurt?
That’s different from simply feeling a little stiff when you first get moving.
And it may be worth finding out what’s going on.
The garden still counts as exercise
October also brings leaves. Lots of them.
What starts as “I’ll just tidy the garden” can quickly become two hours of sweeping, bending, lifting, carrying and moving pots.
The same goes for decorating and those home improvement jobs that suddenly seem like a good idea when the weather turns.
Your body is designed to bend, reach and lift. You don’t need to be frightened of those movements.
But if you’ve spent most of the week sitting at a desk, several hours of repetitive work can be a big jump.
Break bigger jobs into shorter blocks. Change tasks and positions. Keep loads manageable and take a break before you’re exhausted, not afterwards.
And if the same back, shoulder or knee problem appears every time you tackle the garden or DIY, don’t simply accept that it “always does this”.
Getting back to exercise? Build up, don’t catch up
October is also when many people properly return to the gym, running or regular exercise after summer.
The temptation is to go straight back to where you left off.
Your body may have other ideas.
Start with a manageable amount. Give yourself recovery time and build your training gradually.
Some muscle soreness when you return to exercise can be normal.
Pain that repeatedly appears in the same place, gets worse or starts changing the way you move deserves more attention.
Sports Massage can be useful for some people as part of recovery and managing muscle tension.
But if the same problem keeps returning, at Indergaard we don’t simply keep treating the area that feels sore.
We want to understand why it is happening.
When you come to Indergaard, we look at the whole picture
This is an important part of how we work.
When you come to Indergaard Physiotherapy, we don’t start by deciding which treatment to give you.
We start with you.
We’ll listen to what’s been happening and ask what the problem is stopping you doing.
Depending on your symptoms, we’ll assess things such as your movement, strength, mobility and function to help us understand what may be contributing.
Then we’ll explain what we’ve found and give you an individual treatment and rehabilitation plan.
That plan may include:
- Hands-on physiotherapy where appropriate
- Individual rehabilitation and strengthening
- Movement re-education
- Sports Massage
- Physio-led Pilates or Reformer Pilates
- Other treatments such as Shockwave or Laser Therapy when clinically appropriate
We don’t use a treatment simply because it’s available. What we recommend depends on you, your assessment and what you’re trying to get back to doing.
Treatment isn’t just about feeling better when you leave
Hands-on physiotherapy can be an important part of treatment for some people.
But we also want to help you make progress beyond the treatment room.
If strength, movement or the demands you’re placing on your body are contributing to the problem, rehabilitation may form an important part of your plan too.
That doesn’t mean handing you a generic sheet of exercises.
Your rehabilitation should have a purpose.
Perhaps you want to walk further without your knee deciding when it’s time to turn around.
Get back to running.
Return to the gym.
Spend a morning in the garden without losing the rest of the weekend to your back.
Feel steadier on your feet.
Or keep up with your grandchildren.
That’s what we’re working towards.
Staying strong and steady as we get older
Keeping moving through autumn and winter becomes particularly important as we get older.
Strength and balance help with far more than exercise.
They help us climb stairs, carry shopping, walk over uneven ground, get up from a chair and continue doing everyday things independently.
And getting older doesn’t mean you simply have to accept becoming weaker or less confident in your movement.
Physio-led Pilates can be one way to work on strength, balance, stability and movement control in a way that can be adapted around your current ability.
The aim isn’t to turn everybody into an athlete.
It’s to help you remain capable of doing your life.
When should you get pain or stiffness checked?
Not every ache needs physiotherapy.
Bodies occasionally get sore and plenty of minor problems settle with sensible movement and a little time.
But it may be worth getting advice if:
- The same pain keeps returning
- It’s getting worse rather than improving
- You’re changing how you move because of it
- You’ve started avoiding walks, exercise or everyday activities
- Pain is regularly disturbing your sleep
- You’re becoming less confident in your balance or mobility
- You’ve been adapting your life around the problem for weeks
If that sounds familiar, don’t simply assume colder weather means you have to put up with it until spring.
Keep moving through winter
You can’t control the weather.
But you can control whether the change of season becomes the point when you stop doing the things you enjoy.
Keep walking.
Keep working on your strength.
Keep doing the garden, going to the gym and getting outside.
And if pain is beginning to decide what you can and can’t do, find out what’s going on.
At Indergaard Physiotherapy, we’ll assess you properly, explain what we find and create a treatment and rehabilitation plan based around what you want to get back to doing.
Because the goal isn’t simply to get you off the treatment table feeling better.
It’s to help you get back to your life.
📅 Book your assessment today.
📍 Leeds & Wakefield Clinics
📞 0113 286 0333
🌐 indergaardphysio.com
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do my joints feel stiffer when the weather gets colder?
Some people notice more stiffness as the weather changes, but cold weather isn’t a simple proven cause of joint pain. Changes in activity, spending longer sitting and existing joint or muscle problems can all influence how you feel.
Should I rest if my joints feel stiff?
Not necessarily. For many everyday musculoskeletal problems, keeping gently active is preferable to stopping movement completely. If pain is worsening, persistent or limiting what you can do, it may be worth having it assessed.
Can walking help with stiffness?
Regular walking can be a simple way to keep moving and maintain activity through autumn and winter. Start at a level that feels manageable and build gradually.
What happens at my first appointment at Indergaard?
We’ll listen to what’s been happening, discuss what the problem is stopping you doing and assess your movement and function as appropriate. We’ll then explain what we find and create an individual treatment and rehabilitation plan based around your needs and goals.
Will I receive hands-on treatment?
Hands-on physiotherapy may be part of your treatment where appropriate. Your individual plan may also include rehabilitation, strengthening, movement re-education or other treatments depending on what we find during your assessment.
Is physiotherapy only for people with an injury?
No. We see people with recurring aches and pains, long-standing problems, reduced mobility and people who simply want to stay active and confident as they get older, as well as those recovering from injuries.
About Ove Indergaard
Ove Indergaard is a Chartered Physiotherapist with nearly 30 years’ experience and Gold Accreditation as a Specialist Sports Physiotherapist. He is also a Specialist and Educator in Shockwave Therapy, with extensive experience in musculoskeletal physiotherapy, sports injuries and rehabilitation.