Sick of being so stiff all the time - any suggestions?

[Monvelo]

I'm so stiff all the time. My knees. My back. My glutes. My leg muscles. I've previously had herniated discs and suffer with that sometimes still, and I've got patella tendonitis off and on. I see a private physio when I need to. I do pilates once a week in a class. I try to do more at home at least once a week. I walk the dog most days and walk the kids to school. It's affecting my life. Last week I drove 1hr for work then did site visits for work walking all day in a group, I struggled to keep up and ended up limping. Driving makes things worse. Hills or fast walk. But even when things are 'ok' I am still stiff. What can I do???? This has been going on years. I used to run. I've had to stop. I want to do hikes. I can't.

I feel the same @Monvelo - HRT has helped a bit but I think I've got inflammatory arthritis, possibly psoriatic arthritis but under the rheumatologist at the moment to try and see
Could you be peri menopausal ?

I was the same. It turned out to be arthralgia and I went on HRT. Within 48 hrs of being on oestrogen patches the stiffness and joint pain had all but disappeared- I was amazed and had tried loads of supplements etc before this but nothing had made a difference.

I think you ought to get professional help. Also, have you tried do some movement first thing in the morning? Go for a quick brisk walk to warm up and then do some stretching?

Menopause is interesting. I'm 42. I've got a coil and don't have periods so no real idea what occurring on that front.

Could be peri - that can be as early as 42 ... I se to recall I was around 43-44 when I used to stand up and feel my legs and joints hurt and walk a bit weird for a short time before it loosened up -- it wasn't til 50 I
Got
Help

Peri-menopause has definitely made me stiffer and my joints more sore - i couldn't bear to put my weight through my wrists to do plank or press up type exercises before I went onto HRT. Vitamin D also seems to help, I take it all year round now, not just in the winter. I'm the same though, I'm tired of aching and feeling stiff and nothing seems to help - exercise makes it worse and so does doing nothing!!

Yy to exercise makes it worse and so does doing nothing. That's exactly what I feel like.

I'm the same also had hernitated disks that flare up. My shoulders and neck hurt alot of the time. I do some stretches on you tube, Ask Doctor Jo.
She does all different areas of the body the neck and shoulder ones are great.
Have you tried swimming?
I also have an acupressure mat and pillow that I use, sore to begin with but seems to help

Swimming does help you're right. I need to get there more often. I'm also familiar with Dr Jo!

I’m 43yrs old, and I noticed the same symptoms around a year or two ago. Around the same time, I developed many other symptoms that point to me being perimenopausal. 42yrs old is definitely not too young to be classed as perimenopausal, OP.

Swimming cured me.
I started after I had to give up riding, after a nasty fall.
I have had a lifetime of stiff joints.
I started swimming regularly in my 50s, my joints are now more comfortable than they have been since I was young.
I swim at least 3 times a week for 40 minutes, just breast stroke and a few lengths of crawl, but as fast as I can.
I don’t dawdle along chatting to my chums as all the other old dears in the pool do!
I wish I had started years ago.

47 year old here who was achy all the time but has found something to help.

I do 15 minutes of gentle stretching exercises every night just before bed. Routine roughly is:

• arm circles, backwards and forwards
• standing back twists and neck rotations
• cycles of downward dog -> plank -> cobra
• forward bends into wide squats
• kneeling lunges
• lay on back and twist knees from one side to the other.

Proper old lady behaviour but I sleep so much better - it works out the kinks in my back and then I feel better the day after having had a good night’s rest.

Also I think the little and often approach means it never tires me out or pushes me too far in the way that 90mins of yoga or a Pilates class might.

I just end up feeling relaxed, more supple and less achey. I also take glucosamine which I think has also helped.

Watching with interest. I'm a bit older but so stiff for the last 3 years or so as i approached 50 then beyond

I found that when I take vitamin D and magnesium my joints and muscles feel tonnes better . Take a trip to Holland and Barrett and maybe see what supplements they suggest .
Also as others have mentioned , possibly see the doctor regarding peri menopause .

@Monvelo I was in my late thirties/early forties when the stiffness and joint pain started- I had no idea it was because of perimenopause, it didn’t occur to me for years! Am still getting regular monthly cycles and thought menopausal symptoms would start when my cycles changed- I was wrong! I’m 44 now.

I'm 4 years into an "easy" menopause. No night sweats/ hot flushes/ mood swings etc. But got the past year, I have been feeling painfully stiff in many parts of my body and, assuming it was menopausal joint pain, asked the GP for HRT.
She wasn't convinced the pain was caused by menopause.... and, unfortunately it turns out that it's looking like fibromyalgia.
I also swim 3 times a week to try and keep moving, and do a stretch class.
Can't manage yoga or pilates as I have osteoarthritis in my shoulder.
I need to stretch more at home and will be looking at the YouTube recommendation. Thanks for that.

I'm pretty dubious about it being peri meno to be honest as I think it's been sneaking up on me for about 5yrs since I first did my back in, although it's definitely been worse this last year. But also due to having a coil, no periods, my mum had a really easy menopause... But I might go to the menopause call my doctor surgery spammed me about!

Glucosamine and chondroitin have anti-inflammatory properties and you might want to try taking them as a supplement. In some countries they are prescribed for osteoarthritis.