Joint-Friendly Exercises for Shoulder, Knee and Back Pain

Nick leaves diagnosis to the physio and offers swaps for exercises that hurt. For shoulders, single-arm cable lateral raises with a diagonal or horizontal line of pull often work when dumbbell raises are painful, and range can be cut short if only the top hurts. Long band presses, with bands anchored behind the patient, are usually pain free when dumbbell or bench presses are not. The same band setup at an incline can replace landmine presses. For knee pain, sled pushes load the quads with little pain. Backward sled pulls may need a higher position, and a band around the waist gives a similar walking drill at home. High-resistance or hands-free bike sprints also train the quads. For back pain, knee tap squats load the legs without external spinal load, and an elevated variant with an upright trunk suits people with poorer balance. Band glute walks train end-range hip extension, and a band high on the thigh during a hinge makes the top of the movement harder with a lighter weight.