When I was younger, I used to spring out of bed. Now, it’s more like a slow heave — my knees and hips protesting as I release a middle-aged groan.

But I’ve gotten some relief by stretching for five minutes each morning. I picked this tip up from Dr. Gbolahan Okubadejo, a spine surgeon in New York and New Jersey. He told me that he’s been doing this every morning to keep his joints and muscles limber. Now I do the same.

We should think of our joints as more than just “hinges on a machine,” said Dr. M. Lucius Pomerantz, an orthopedic surgeon in San Diego. “We should be nurturing them,” he said. A joint is anywhere two bones meet, and we have about 350 of them. They’re essential for movement, flexibility and stability.

I asked experts for their best tips on how to keep them supple.

Movement is like WD-40 for your joints.

Regular movement are critical for joint health, Dr. Okubadejo said. Our hip, shoulder, knee and elbow joints are called synovial joints; they contain fluid that helps nourish the cartilage by preventing wear while the joint is in motion.