4 ways to keep moving with joint pain

With joint pain, exercise may feel like the last thing you want - or need. But the right exercises done properly can be a long-lasting way to subdue ankle, knee, hip, or shoulder pain. For some people, the right routine can even delay or sidestep surgery.

Exercise is great medicine, but only if you make time for it regularly - and getting started is often the hardest part. Four ways to get your dose of activity:

Carve out the time. Skip a few half-hour TV shows a week, or work out while watching. Get up 30 minutes earlier for a morning workout. If big blocks of time never materialize, try 10-minute walks, or split a workout between morning and evening.

Build activity into your routine. Take stairs, not elevators. Get off the bus or subway a stop early, or park farther from work. While on the phone, stretch, pace, or do lunges, squats, and heel raises. Bike or walk to work. On errands, park once and walk between shops. Try a standing desk, or swap your chair for a stability ball for a few hours a day. Rake leaves and shovel snow instead of using powered blowers.

Find a workout buddy. Exercising with a friend is more enjoyable, and you are less likely to cancel at the last minute.

Beat bad weather and early darkness. Buy basic equipment for home workouts, join a gym, try a community class, or walk the mall or an indoor track at a local school. When motivation flags, remind yourself of your goals, plan small rewards, ask a friend to check in on you, or consider a personal trainer.