Your weight-bearing joints, such as your knees and hips, bear the brunt of most of your body’s movement. Keeping them healthy requires a good diet and regular exercise.
Strength training can help strengthen the muscles that support your joints. Try these three resistance exercises (a physical therapist or certified trainer can help with modifications). Discover 6 types of arm pain & treatments at La Clinica. From shoulder injuries to nerve issues, get relief with expert care.
1. Eat the Right Foods
A healthy diet provides the nutrients that help keep muscles and joints strong. Try olive oil, which is rich in monounsaturated fats that have anti-inflammatory properties. Fresh fruits, vegetables and lean protein are also important. A registered dietitian can help you find a diet that works best for you.
Avoid inflammatory foods, such as sugar, dairy, wheat/gluten and alcohol. In addition, eating a diet high in calcium and vitamin D, and taking supplements can help maintain bone and joint health.
Proper posture and good lifting techniques can help protect your joints. For example, use your bigger muscles to lift objects instead of putting the strain on smaller hand joints.
2. Exercise Regularly
Exercise strengthens muscles, which in turn helps protect joints. Strong muscles also prevent joint injury because they provide support when you move.
Skeletal muscles are connected to bones by tough cords of tissue called tendons (ten-duhnz). When a muscle contracts, it pulls one bone towards another across a joint.
When you exercise, the pressure on your bones causes your body to adapt by building stronger, denser bone. Regular exercise also lubricates the joints and reduces swelling. You should try to get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity each week and two or more sessions of strength training.
You can split your strength training into smaller workouts, but make sure to give each muscle group 48 hours to recover between each workout.
3. Get Enough Sleep
Getting enough sleep is essential for muscle growth and recovery. When you don’t get enough sleep, your muscles won’t be able to repair themselves after a workout and you won’t be able to build muscle mass as quickly.
During sleep, the body releases growth hormones that help with muscle recovery and repair. It also increases blood flow to the muscles, which provides oxygen and nutrients that are needed for recovery.
Try to go to bed around the same time every night and avoid caffeine — found in tea, coffee, cola, chocolate and energy drinks – after midday. Try stretching before bed to help you fall asleep and prevent sleep-related joint pain.
4. Avoid Inflammatory Foods
Inflammation is your body’s natural response to infection, illness or injury. It usually clears up on its own, but chronic inflammation can lead to disease. A healthy diet helps manage inflammation.
Choose whole foods that are low in sugar, salt and fat. Avoid processed foods, like commercial baked goods, ice cream and candy. Instead, eat vegetables and fruit, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds. Drink green tea and black, white or green coffee, which contain antioxidants.
Use herbs and spices like turmeric, ginger and oregano, which have anti-inflammatory properties. These can be added to food or taken as a supplement. Avoid alcoholic beverages, which can disrupt the gut microbiome and contribute to inflammation.
5. Drink Plenty of Water
There are over 650 skeletal muscles in your body, and these work to move your bones and other parts of your body. They also help you run, swim, play sports and lift objects.
Your joints are cushioned by cartilage and synovial fluid that reduce friction between bones. These are lubricated by water, which is why it’s important to drink plenty of water.
Muscle cells need water to expand and contract quickly in response to instructions from the brain. When muscles don’t get enough fluids, they become fatigued. Water also helps carry nutrients to your muscles. Staying hydrated is especially important during exercise.
6. Stay Hydrated
Hydration is important for all areas of your body but is especially critical during and after exercise. As humans sweat during intense workouts, they lose fluid which must be replaced. This helps control body temperature and heart rate as well as maintaining a normal level of performance.
Water cushions your joints and hydrates cartilage to make it soft and pliable. Cartilage that is dehydrated can become stiff and irritated.
Aim to drink the recommended amount of water for your age group each day. Avoid sugary drinks which can cause inflammation in the body. Drink water instead of soda, juice or tea. Drinking a glass of water at each meal is ideal.