One of the most uncomfortable symptoms of getting older is stiff joints. Your knees ache if you stand up after sitting for a while. Your shoulders ache if you have to reach up to put something away.

To be truthful, you likely will have stiffness no matter what you do.

But you can greatly decrease the typical joint stiffness of middle age if you work your joints on a regular basis.

It helps to know how joints work. A joint is where two bones meet.

Examples are the knee joint made by the femur and tibia, and the finger joints that make knuckles.

Most, though not all, of the body’s joints are ‘synovial,’ which means they produce a lubricating fluid that helps the bone ends move past each other easily, without friction.

Synovial fluid is produced when the joint moves. But the body is lazy. If there’s no joint movement, there’s no reason to ooze synovial fluid into the joint.

As time goes on, the body adapts to not creating synovial fluid. It takes a lot more movement to get it flowing again.

To help prevent joint stiffness, you want to stop your body from slowing the flow of lubricating fluid.

But even non-synovial joints will get stiff if they adapt to not changing position. That means you must move every joint in your body for several minutes at a time; either daily or at least every other day.

Plan on a 15-minute movement routine, which is best done early in the morning.

Each movement should be done for at least 90 seconds.

Soon, you won’t have that dull ache when you stand up after sitting in one position for a while. You’ll find that morning back pain will have lessened or gone away entirely.

Movement will be fluid and easy. You will sit, stand and walk like you’ve taken a drink at the fountain of youth.