Follow these simple tips to help strengthen your joints.
Let’s start simple. What are your joints and why are they important?
A joint is a point of connection between two bones. Joints contain many connective tissues including ligaments and tendons to provide cushioning for your moving bones. Your joints hold your body together and allow you to move around.
As you age, the cartilage and connective tissues that make up your joints start to deteriorate. The deteriorated joints result in painful movements, reduced flexibility, and limited mobility. To try to get back some of that mobility, try out these simple tips to strengthen your joints.
1. Just Move
Joints are supposed to move! If you have joint pain, or even arthritis, don’t be afraid to move. You’re not hurting your joints; you’re actually helping them! Make sure that you’re standing up and walking around every hour throughout the day.
2. Maintain an ideal weight
Try to alleviate unnecessary pressure on your joints by maintaining a healthy weight. In addition to helping your joints, it will improve your overall health. According to a 2005 study, for each pound lost, there is a four-fold reduction in force on the knee when a step is taken.
3. Try out low-impact exercises
Low-impact exercises help strengthen the joints without adding harmful pressure. Jogging, running, squatting, and other exercises are painful and might hurt your joints. Try out swimming, cycling, yoga, TRX, water aerobics, elliptical, stair climber, or dance aerobics to get your heart rate up without putting too much pressure on your joints.
4. Take collagen supplements
As you age, the cartilage in your joints breaks down. Taking collagen supplements can help replace some of that diminished cartilage and help ease joint pain. Ideal Collagen is one of the top-rated collagen supplements for joint health. Try it out risk-free here!
5. Work on flexibility
As you age, your flexibility and range of motion will suffer. Restricted range of motion causes the joint to tighten up and will be painful once you try to regain it. The best way to avoid that is by taking preventative measures to move and stretch frequently. If you find yourself with limited range of motion, see a physical therapist to help you get back to where you were.
6. Eat an anti-inflammatory diet
You might not know it, but your diet can greatly affect your joint health. Studies show that the best diet for joint health includes anti-inflammatory foods including:
- Avocado
- Olive oil
- Green tea
- Salmon
- Leafy greens
- Turmeric
- Berries
- Dark chocolate
