Padded footing comes first for a stiff Rex
Padded, non-slip footing is the foundation of exercise for an elderly Rex rabbit with stiff joints, because Rex fur is famously short and plush on the body but thin on the feet. That thin foot fur leaves the hocks with little cushion, and an older Rex who is also moving less can develop sore, pink hocks that hard floors aggravate with every step.
Build the exercise area on thick rugs, foam mats, or layered blankets over any hard surface. The padding serves her joints and her hocks at once, letting a stiff Rex walk and stretch without paying for the session in sore feet.
A wandering circuit, kept flat
A flat wandering circuit suits an elderly Rex better than any obstacle arrangement. Her hide at one end, a generous hay pile in the middle, and a scatter of herbs or a forage mat at the other end create fifteen to twenty minutes of purposeful, self-paced walking with rest built into every stop.
Leave ramps and platforms out of a stiff Rex's space. Climbing loads aging joints steeply, and descending is worse; everything she needs can live on the floor she already trusts, and the walking itself is the therapy.
Check the hocks as part of the routine
A quick hock check belongs in an elderly Rex's exercise routine, done while she is settled after floor time. Part the fur on the underside of each back foot and look for pinkness, broken skin, or thinning patches, comparing one side with the other so a one-sided problem stands out.
Intact but pink hocks call for more padding and shorter sessions on the softest surface you have. Broken skin is a vet matter, because a Rex's hock sore can deepen quietly under that dense coat and is far easier to treat early.
Let her choose rest days without losing the habit
Rest days chosen by an elderly Rex are part of good stiffness management, not a failed routine. Weather changes, a poor night's rest, and simple old-age variability all produce days when a stiff rabbit moves less, and forcing floor time on those days teaches her to dread the pen door opening.
Keep the invitation constant instead: open the space at the usual times, put the hay and forage out, and let her decide. A Rex who trusts that rest is allowed will usually return to wandering on her own within a day or two, and the weekly pattern of movement stays healthy even with gaps.
When a Rex's stiffness needs the vet
See the vet if an elderly Rex develops a hock sore that breaks the skin, starts limping, or shows a sudden drop in how far she is willing to walk. Gradual change fits aging; a clear step down in mobility, or any open sore on those vulnerable feet, needs professional eyes rather than more rest.
Write down session lengths, the surfaces used, and what the hocks looked like each few days. Keeping those notes in KinsLe's Pet Passport turns a vague sense that she is slowing down into a dated record her vet can actually act on.