Exercise and careful stretching can help. However, there may be many other contributing factors which are causing these kind of problems in flexibility, sore joints, etc.
For instance...
I was suffering for several months from rotator cuff problems in both shoulders, continual pain, lack of movement range...I tried various forms of physical therapy. They helped a little, but the problem remained.
I was also suffering from insomnia, lack of energy, depression, tense muscles, and was gaining weight around the waist area.
I then went to a Naturopath and had my entire system checked out in the most thorough and well-conducted physical I've ever seen in my life...altogether it took two 2 hours sessions over 2 days.
Conclusions:
1. My liver was stressed out. (this causes symptoms of pain in the right shoulder in particular, as well as numeruous other symptoms...look it up in a standard medical book if you don't believe me).
2. My eliminative system was not working well...and that's why the liver was getting stressed out.
3. I wasn't getting enough Magnesium or B vitamins in my diet.
4. My system was overly acidic...mainly due to bad dietary habits and lack of exercise.
5. And there were some other nutritional supplements I seeemed to be lacking.
Okay, fine, that all made sense. So here's the remedy:
1. I got 6 colonics over a period of 3 weeks to clear out the eliminative system. Results? Marvelous!
2. I started taking vitamin B supplements, digestive enzymes, magnesium citramate tablets, fish oil tablets, and a couple of other supplements 3 times a day. Results? No more insomnia! No more tense muscles! Lots more energy and clearer looking skin tone.
3. I started doing 100 situps a day and pedaling 10 kms a day on the exercise bike. Still am doing so.
4. I pretty much eliminated caffeine drinks, sugary stuff, white flour products and stuff like that from my diet, and started eating a LOT more raw vegetables with my meals.
Now what has all this accomplished? (And at a quite modest cost.) I have lost 2 or 3 inches off my waist and my old trousers fit me again! My muscles are relaxed at night. My shoulders are back to normal. I look better. I feel better.