Making an effort to look after your joints is one of the best things you can do to help manage the pain of arthritis, as well as to help preserve the smooth function of joints that aren’t yet affected by joint pain.
Even if you are already experiencing pain as a result of arthritis in one part of your body – for example your knees or hips – keeping your other joints healthy can make it easier to stay active for years to come. Fortunately, there are plenty of things you can do to improve and protect your joints, and we have compiled seven of the most important methods here.
Staying active
Keeping moving isn’t always the easiest thing in the world. If you already have joint pain, moving around might seem like the last thing that you’d want to be doing. If you don’t have joint pain, you may feel that there’s nothing you need to do to improve your joint health!
Moving your joints regularly, however, is tremendously beneficial for everyone; exercising means increasing your blood flow, which helps to deliver vital nutrients to the cartilage and tissue around your joints. The end result is greater flexibility, lubrication of your joints, and a reduction in stiffness and discomfort.
Regular exercise also helps by strengthening the muscles that support your joints, improving their stability and reducing your risk of injury, while also helping to counter the natural weakening of joint musculature over time.
Keeping it low impact
Gentle, consistent activity is the key to keeping your joints moving without straining them, and doing as little as going for a 10 minute walk each day can make a significant difference. Even short bouts of exercise will have a positive effect on your cardiovascular system and your muscles.
Other low-impact exercises that are good for joints include things like swimming (where water supports your body weight, allowing your joints to move freely without applying pressure to them) and cycling (where smooth, circular pedalling movements minimise impact on the joints). And as mentioned, walking is an excellent low-impact exercise that requires no special equipment and is accessible to everyone.
Running tends to have a somewhat higher impact on the joints, however this can be mitigated by wearing sufficiently supportive footwear, running on softer surfaces like grass, and ensuring you have a recovery period between runs.
Joint-healthy supplements
There are a number of supplements that can help promote joint health, in particular something like cod liver oil which is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. These are naturally anti-inflammatory and can help with stiffness in the joints. Your GP or pharmacist may be able to help with other suggestions.
You may also find that a drug-free treatment such as FlexiSEQ can help. It contains natural lubricant ingredients and, when applied as instructed, can support your joints & help you stay active.
Watch your weight
Every time you move from one place to another, it places pressure on your body’s weight-bearing joints – and the more you weigh, the greater the pressure. Managing your weight is one of the best things you can do to reduce the strain on your joints.
Research has shown that each pound of body weight equates to three pounds of pressure on your joints when walking – but the good news is that this means losing even a small amount of weight can have a significant positive impact on your joints.
If you don’t currently have joint pain, maintaining a healthy weight lowers your risk of developing osteoarthritis, because the reduced pressure on weight-bearing joints helps slow the breakdown of cartilage.
Eat joint-friendly foods
Eating well is always a good idea generally, but there are certain foods you can focus on that are especially beneficial for joint health:
- Oily fish is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids which – as mentioned above – have anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce joint pain and stiffness.
- Antioxidant-rich foods like berries, peppers or leafy greens like spinach and kale help fight the oxidative stress that can damage joint tissue.
- Wholegrains, nuts and seeds are rich in nutrients like vitamin E (which has antioxidant effects) and magnesium (which can help improve muscle function).
- Calcium-rich foods like yoghurt and leafy greens can help maintain bone health.
Meanwhile, highly processed foods containing lots of sugar should be avoided, as they can lead to inflammation and stiffness. We’ve created a host of joint friendly recipes that could help.
Stretching and/or yoga
It’s not all about exercises that get you out and about, and flexibility exercises are often overlooked – even though these can be done without going anywhere. Stretching helps to strengthen the muscles around joints, improve range of motion and decrease the likelihood of falls and injuries.
Stretching and yoga also helps to relieve stiffness and tension, which in turn can help decrease discomfort in your joints. Incorporating these kinds of movements into your routine can be great for keeping joints supple and stable. Why not join a local class, or even find an online class to join?
Be aware of family history
If you happen to know that osteoarthritis is something that has affected your parents or grandparents, there’s all the more reason to take a proactive approach to keeping your joints healthy. Taking early steps to develop an active routine, maintain a healthy weight and keep an eye out for any symptoms can be a major factor in slowing the progression of any joint issues you might one day experience.