As we age, the importance of our health becomes a huge priority. Taking care of our health isn’t easy; it requires changes to your routine, diet and lifestyle. There are many different areas of our body that we need to maintain and take care of, but one of the most important is our joints. Taking care of our joints throughout our lifetime will help to keep us feel more comfortable and mobile as we age.
Although joint injury and complications like arthritis can’t always be avoided, there are a number of things we can do to look after and protect our joints throughout our lifetime. Looking after things before they become an issue is the best way to prevent it ever becoming a problem in the future. Today, we will be taking a look at ways you can protect and maintain healthy joints.
Maintain Your Weight
Maintaining a healthy weight through a balanced diet and regular exercise is key to protecting and maintaining healthy joints. When you are overweight, you will strain your joints and put extra pressure on weight-bearing joints, such as your back, hips, knees and ankles. When you are a healthy weight, your joints will experience less stress and the risk of joint damage will be reduced. A healthy weight will benefit you in many other ways and will reduce the risk of other serious health complications.
Replace Your Mattress
Getting plenty of high-quality rest is important for your health. If you have an uncomfortable mattress that doesn’t support your body the way it should, this can put you at risk of experiencing pain, aches and stiffness in your joints. To help reduce the risk of experiencing this kind of pain, you should consider replacing your mattress. These recommendations from SimplyRest.com are the best if you’re on a budget and need a mattress to reduce joint issues, like hip pain.
Do Regular Exercises
Keeping fit and healthy is vital for healthy joints. If you don’t move regularly, then your joints are more likely to cease up and cause pain. Exercises can improve your flexibility, increase your muscle mass and keep your joints loose. When you are more flexible, you are less likely to injure yourself as you age. If you increase your muscle mass, your bones will be more prepared and your joints will be safer and more mobile. Exercises will also improve many aspects of your mental and physical health.
Watch Your Diet
A healthy diet contributes to a healthy weight and lifestyle. The right foods and supplements will also help to protect and maintain your joints. Eating lean protein can build up your muscles, and consuming enough vitamin D and calcium will support strong bones. Oily fish provides plenty of omega-3 fatty acids, which can reduce joint inflammation. There are other anti-inflammatory foods that you should incorporate into your diet, as well as Glucosamine supplements.
Improve Your Posture
Proper posture has been proven to reduce joint stress and will decrease your risk of muscle injury. There are many exercises you can do to improve your posture, alongside lifestyle changes, such as changing your sleeping position. Altering your posture takes time and persistence. The way in which you stand, sleep or sit is a habit that needs to be broken and can’t be altered overnight. At the start, you will notice yourself making a conscious effort to change, but this won’t be necessary over time.
There is no better time than the present to start protecting and maintaining healthy joints. Changes to your routine, diet and lifestyle can do you the world of good and look after other parts of your body as well as your joints. We can guarantee that you will thank yourself in the future.