Keeping up your joint health can help you stay active and mobile as you age. Though you may not be able to completely avoid health conditions such as arthritis or prevent injury, there are things that you can do to safeguard your joints throughout your life.
Joint Health
The more you move, the less stiff your joints will be. Whether you are watching TV or working, you should take breaks, get out of your chair and get active. Staying active can help reduce stiffness in your joints, moving around often during the day and avoiding staying in one position for too long.
Low-impact exercises such as walking, stretching, swimming, and strength training can help your joints stay mobile and may also help you shed a few extra pounds.
To maintain or improve joint health, exercise is key, but here are more tips to keep your joints in optimal shape.
- Maintaining a healthy weight: When a person is overweight, it places extra strain on weight-bearing joints such as hips, back, knees, and ankles. This is because every pound of access weight you carry results in an additional four pounds of pressure on these joints. By achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, you can limit the amount of pressure on these joints, which reduces the risk of damage or wear.
- Good Posture: Posture refers to how we carry weight when sitting, walking, and lying down. Good posture has many health benefits, including avoidance of injury and back pain. When you maintain good posture, it helps maintain the correct alignment of the spine and joints, which decreases abnormal joint wear.
- Balanced Diet: A balanced diet not only has its benefits when it comes to your overall health but may also improve your joint health. Eating lean proteins can help build strong muscles. Eating food with calcium and vitamin D, such as dairy products and other fortified foods, can strengthen your bones. You can also naturally reduce inflammation in the joints by eating food rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon and mackerel, tomatoes, berries, leafy vegetables, and nuts.
There are many other natural and simple ways to keep your joints healthy. To learn more, call our office and set up a consultation to discuss your health goals with our doctor.