Our joints are among the most important body parts we have. If they start weakening, we’d find the simple task of moving about extremely difficult. With aging and other factors, however, many people see a decline in their joint health quite early on.
Fortunately, there are ways to take care of your joints to preserve them for the long run. Wondering how you can remain spry and active even while approaching your golden years? It’s time to stave off those creaking joints by following the tips below.
1. Maintain Healthy Weight
Losing weight isn’t just about looking good; it’s also about maintaining proper health. With the extra pounds on your body, you’re putting undue strain on your joints. The weight-bearing joints in your back, hips, ankles, and knees take the brunt of it. Over time, these areas will then develop a lot of pain, swelling, and other issues.
Even one extra pound will add four pounds of pressure on those joints. That’s why any decent doctor for knee injuries will tell you to lose that excess weight as soon as possible.
2. Stay Active
Staying active is a great way to lose and maintain weight. Additionally, this habit will also loosen up the joints and prevent them from getting too stiff. It’s not great to stay in one place for too long. So, you might want to take a break from binge-watching those seasons.
Instead, you can focus on hobbies such as cycling, swimming, walking, and gardening. You can also watch TV or put on a movie every once in a while but make sure to stretch every half-hour.
3. Indulge In Strength Training
Add some strength training exercises to your schedule; these will help to strengthen your core and benefit the chest, back, and abdominal muscles. A study also showed a link between resistance exercise and physical fitness among older adults.
Before heading towards strength training, it’s equally important to ask your Silverdale foot doctor if you’re capable of following this exercise regime.
4. Correct Your Posture
Your parents weren’t wrong when they told you to sit up straight and improve your posture. It turns out that having a good posture can prevent your joints from bearing extra stress.
It’s especially important to have proper posture when you have to perform actions like lifting, carrying heavy objects, sitting, or standing. For instance, you can bend your legs to lift something heavy from the ground instead of bending your back. Even this precaution could protect your back from unnecessary strain. You’ll also be able to prevent joint damage or a painful injury this way.
5. Maintain A Proper Diet
When you want to maintain your joint health, having a healthy diet is a major consideration. Watching what you eat will help you shed that extra weight and also enhance the strength of your joints.
Adding lean protein to your daily intake, for example, will help in building strong muscles. You can also strengthen your joints by increasing your intake of foods that provide vitamin D, calcium, omega-3 fatty acids, and so on.
The best examples of joint-friendly foods include fish (especially mackerel and salmon), tomatoes, green left vegetables, nuts, berries, and olive oil.
Of course, having a healthy diet also means cutting out the unhealthy stuff. Curb your consumption of sugar, tobacco, simple carbs, and refined oils. You’ll probably see and feel a difference very soon!
The Takeaway
With healthy joints, you’ll be able to stay mobile and relatively active even in your old age. Injuries and other health conditions might be out of our control but the steps above will help to protect your joints at least. Plus, these precautions will lead to better overall health throughout your life.
Hannah is a professional writer who loves to make research on unique topics and express her thoughts by content writing.
