Just because stiff joints are prevalent with age, doesn't mean they are inevitable, or that you can't prevent or control your joint health.
These tips will help you maintain healthy, strong, flexible joints.
Perfect your posture
Standing and sitting up straight protects joints from your neck to your knees. Good posture also helps guard hip joints and back muscles. Posture is also important when lifting and carrying. Being lopsided puts more stress on joints.
Live a healthy lifestyle
Avoid smoking and limit alcohol intake.
Watch your weight
Weight-bearing joints, such as knees, hips and back, have to support some, if not all, your body weight. That is why so many overweight people have problems with these areas of the body. Every kilogram gained puts four times more stress on the knees, so losing weight reduces the risk of knee arthritis.
Exercise
Exercise not only helps maintain a healthy weight, but some research suggests that aerobic exercise can reduce joint swelling. Low-impact exercises such as walking, yoga, tai chi, swimming or cycling will not damage joints. Couch potatoes, computer addicts, and anyone glued to a chair all day is at high risk for joint pain.
Strong muscles support joints
If you have weak muscles, the joints holding you up – especially your knees – have to do a lot of work without strong muscle and surrounding ligaments.
Strengthen your core
Include activities that strengthen your abdominal (core) muscles. Stronger abs and back muscles help keep your balance and prevent falls that can damage joints.
Wear safety gear
If your activity requires a helmet, or knee/elbow/wrist pads, do wear them. And avoid repetitive kneeling or squatting. Injuries or several minor injuries can damage cartilage and onset arthritis early. Elbow and wrist braces, or guards, also help reduce stress on joints during activities.
Know your limits
Some exercises and activities cause joint pain. If you wish to continue these activities, they will need to be modified and you will need to take it a little slower. Seek professional advice on how to build muscle around the joints that cause pain.
Use ice
Ice is the best drug-free pain reliever. It helps relieve joint swelling and numbs pain. Apply ice wrapped in cloth for no more than 20 minutes.
Nourish your joints
We tend to forget that our bones are alive in our bodies, not dead like skeletons! Bones have nerves, blood vessels, and they have important functions, like storing calcium for the body. A healthy diet helps build strong bones. Strong bones keep you from falling, which may cause joint damage.
Bones and joints need:
Glucosamine and chondroitin to use as building blocks for rebuilding damaged cartilage.
Calcium (if you don’t like calcium-rich food, take a supplement).
Vitamin D allows calcium to be readily absorbed. But an estimated 40-75 percent of people are deficient. Dermatologists recommend using sunscreen and getting vitamin D from food and supplements rather than risk the harmful rays of the sun.
Vitamin C and antioxidants can help reduce the risk of osteoarthritis.
Omega 3 promotes healthy joints and reduces joint pain and swelling in people with arthritis. Marine and plant oils are high in omega 3 – all oily fish such as salmon, halibut and tuna, krill and olive oil, winter squash, flaxseed, walnut and beans (avoid GM soy beans).
These tips will help you maintain healthy, strong, flexible joints.
Perfect your posture
Standing and sitting up straight protects joints from your neck to your knees. Good posture also helps guard hip joints and back muscles. Posture is also important when lifting and carrying. Being lopsided puts more stress on joints.
Live a healthy lifestyle
Avoid smoking and limit alcohol intake.
Watch your weight
Weight-bearing joints, such as knees, hips and back, have to support some, if not all, your body weight. That is why so many overweight people have problems with these areas of the body. Every kilogram gained puts four times more stress on the knees, so losing weight reduces the risk of knee arthritis.
Exercise
Exercise not only helps maintain a healthy weight, but some research suggests that aerobic exercise can reduce joint swelling. Low-impact exercises such as walking, yoga, tai chi, swimming or cycling will not damage joints. Couch potatoes, computer addicts, and anyone glued to a chair all day is at high risk for joint pain.
Strong muscles support joints
If you have weak muscles, the joints holding you up – especially your knees – have to do a lot of work without strong muscle and surrounding ligaments.
Strengthen your core
Include activities that strengthen your abdominal (core) muscles. Stronger abs and back muscles help keep your balance and prevent falls that can damage joints.
Wear safety gear
If your activity requires a helmet, or knee/elbow/wrist pads, do wear them. And avoid repetitive kneeling or squatting. Injuries or several minor injuries can damage cartilage and onset arthritis early. Elbow and wrist braces, or guards, also help reduce stress on joints during activities.
Know your limits
Some exercises and activities cause joint pain. If you wish to continue these activities, they will need to be modified and you will need to take it a little slower. Seek professional advice on how to build muscle around the joints that cause pain.
Use ice
Ice is the best drug-free pain reliever. It helps relieve joint swelling and numbs pain. Apply ice wrapped in cloth for no more than 20 minutes.
Nourish your joints
We tend to forget that our bones are alive in our bodies, not dead like skeletons! Bones have nerves, blood vessels, and they have important functions, like storing calcium for the body. A healthy diet helps build strong bones. Strong bones keep you from falling, which may cause joint damage.
Bones and joints need:
Glucosamine and chondroitin to use as building blocks for rebuilding damaged cartilage.
Calcium (if you don’t like calcium-rich food, take a supplement).
Vitamin D allows calcium to be readily absorbed. But an estimated 40-75 percent of people are deficient. Dermatologists recommend using sunscreen and getting vitamin D from food and supplements rather than risk the harmful rays of the sun.
Vitamin C and antioxidants can help reduce the risk of osteoarthritis.
Omega 3 promotes healthy joints and reduces joint pain and swelling in people with arthritis. Marine and plant oils are high in omega 3 – all oily fish such as salmon, halibut and tuna, krill and olive oil, winter squash, flaxseed, walnut and beans (avoid GM soy beans).
Tips to keep joints healthy
Just because stiff joints are prevalent with age, doesn't mean they are inevitable, or that you can't prevent or control your joint health.