If you want to maintain or improve your joint health, you likely know exercise is essential. However, you may wonder what else you can do to reduce or eliminate joint pain. If that is the case, keep reading. Here you can find some simple and effective ways to improve and maintain your joint health and well-being.
Add Anti-Inflammatory Foods to Your Diet
Reducing total inflammation is essential to minimize arthritis symptoms and to improve your joint health. Anti-inflammatory diets involve avoiding foods that will increase inflammation while adding more foods that will reduce inflammation, such as turmeric curcumin.
There are some experts who have suggested that following the Mediterranean diet is an effective way to reduce inflammation in your body.
Do Not Stop Moving
If you have arthritis or deal with other joint pain, you may be hesitant to engage in regular physical activity or exercises because they are worried it will increase their pain or cause additional damage to their joints. However, your body is designed to move. Your joints allow this movement.
What you may not realize is that moving and staying active helps to ease joint stiffness, strengthen your muscles around the joints, and reduce joint pain. Exercising and moving around help you maintain a healthy weight, too. The advantages of moving and exercising are real – keep moving.
Protect Your Joints
It is essential that everyone – especially if you have arthritis – take steps to protect your joints. The end goal of joint protection efforts is to help reduce the stress or burden put on your joints, which in turn helps to reduce pain.
When you are active and trying to protect your joints, there are a few things to remember. For example, you have to listen to your body and pay attention to any pain signals. You should also avoid activities that increase pain or stress your joints. Make sure you pay attention to the proper and safe body mechanics, take time to balance activity with rest, and use mobility aids or assistive devices when needed.
Maintain a Healthy Weight
If you want to reach an optimal state of joint health, you need to maintain your ideal body weight. If you carry around too much weight, it will add more stress to your joints – especially your body’s weight-bearing joints.
There are many studies that have discovered that losing weight can help to reduce knee pain while increasing function of the joint. It can also help to reduce symptoms of osteoarthritis.
Engage in Low-Impact Exercises
To achieve the desired benefits offered by regular exercise and physical activity, you don’t have to engage in high-impact activities. Instead, consider a gentler exercise that will help to reduce the stress that is put on your joints during any type of higher-intensity workout.
According to information provided by the Arthritis Foundation, low-impact activities that are easier on your joints include things like cycling, walking, golf, and swimming.
Build Your Muscles
Your muscles help support your joints. This means you need to keep them as strong as you can. You can take steps to maintain or improve your muscle strength by engaging in strengthening exercises.
Sometimes, weight training is used as a part of your bigger strengthening regiment. Just be careful and make sure you do not overdo it. When you engage in strength training and do it the right way, you can increase joint stability and reduce pain.
Engage in Range of Motion Activities
One of the top signs and issues for those who have arthritis is issues with limited range of motion. To help preserve your current range of motion or improve it, you should regularly put each of your body’s joints through their full range of motion.
To do this, you will rotate, bend, or extend every one of your joints. The right range of motion exercises is going to help relieve stiffness and pain, improve flexibility, and work to keep your joints moving and functional.
Put a Priority on Taking Calcium and Vitamin D
Calcium and vitamin D are two nutrients that your body needs to ensure the health of your bones. Vitamin D is required to ensure your body can absorb the calcium you eat or take. You will find a few ways to get your needed daily dose of vitamin D, including supplements, from your diet (the foods you eat) or exposure to the sun.
There are some individuals who require supplements to ensure they are getting enough calcium and vitamin D. Your doctor can require a blood test to figure out if you are vitamin D deficient. Remember, lower levels of calcium are directly associated with reduced bone density and can increase the likelihood of bone fractures.
Stop Smoking
You have likely heard about all the negative things associated with smoking. Along with being bad for your health and well-being, smoking will also increase your risk of bone fractures and osteoporosis.
If you smoke, it will also increase your likelihood of injuries, including things like tendonitis or bursitis. Additional issues for smokers include rheumatoid arthritis and back pain. When it comes to improving your bone health (and your overall health), it is best to stop smoking.
Take Steps to Improve Joint Health
When it comes to joint health, there are several things you can do to help reduce pain and discomfort. It is necessary to take steps now to help prevent these types of issues, too.
When it comes to joint health, issues can impact anyone – regardless of your current age or health concerns. Using the tips and information here will help ensure that you get the desired results and that you are able to overcome joint issues if they do occur. Remember, there is no magic cure for joint pain or joint problems; however, if you take the steps mentioned here, you can reduce your pain, discomfort, and long-term issues, now and in the future. Being informed is the best way to help ensure that the desired results are achieved and to minimize joint problems.
