What Are the Best Sports That Don’t Harm Our Joints

October 28, 2025

2 min read

There is at least one part of our body that does not enjoy sports at all—the joints. What kind of fitness is the best for them?

Key takeaways

There is at least one part of our body that does not enjoy sports at all—the joints.
What is good for joints?
What is dangerous for joints?

Who this is for

People exploring Bones and muscles through fitness, healthy lifestyle.

Why it matters

This piece helps you get oriented quickly, then move into a collection or series if you want to keep going.

Article author

Dr. Helga

General practitioner

According to World Health Organization (WHO) experts, a third of the world's population will at some point face issues due to pressure on the joints. And, unfortunately, incorrect or too much exercise can significantly increase the risk of joint issues.

What is good for joints?

Swimming This is an almost ideal form of physical activity, suitable for almost everyone: water supports body weight and relieves stress on the joints, while at the same time helping muscles and tendon ligaments work properly.

Bike riding The back, knees, hips, and ankles don’t become overly stressed during training since our legs don’t hit the ground or take on body weight. At the same time, the movements are cyclical—as in rowing or kayaking—so the load, although sufficient for the development of the joints, is still not serious enough to damage them.

Water aerobics Despite the fairly intense load, water aerobics do not put much pressure on the joints thanks to water support and therefore are suitable even for people who already have joint problems. The important thing, however, is to monitor the temperature of the water: hypothermia can lead to inflammatory processes.

Skiing During a ski trip, the load on the legs joints is even less than when walking, which is due to sliding movements. But it is important to remember that at an older age skiing can be dangerous due to possible falls.

Pilates, yoga, stretching All these types of fitness are static: they enhance spine mobility and develop ligaments and tendons while at the same time not loading the joints. Additionally, yoga and pilates help improve the condition of the joint capsule and thereby prevent the development of arthrosis.

What is dangerous for joints?

First of all, monotonous and intense loads of any kind should be avoided.

Running We noted above that with proper load distribution, running can be not only safe but also beneficial for joint health. However, if you neglect your safety equipment, run on improperly paved trails, wear the wrong footwear, or run professionally for results, your knee joints can get seriously damaged.

Football Osteoarthritis is a kind of "professional" disease of football players. The risk of developing the disease for football players is 3-7 times higher than the average person.

Weightlifting Besides the increased load that the knee joints receive directly during training, it is worth mentioning the so-called delayed risk: after the termination of training, former athletes typically gain weight, which increases the likelihood of developing joint diseases.

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