When speaking of joint and joint pain; there’s one saying that all medical professionals emphasize:
Better safe than sorry.
And that’s because if you get too late in addressing your joint pain, you deepen the damage. Once the damage is way too deep, your joint may as well be unrecoverable. You will have to get joint replacement surgery or therapy sessions for the rest of your life.
Definitely, you’d want to avoid this as much as we want to. So, here’s a list of tips to help you avoid joint pain, stress, and injuries as effectively!
Maintain a Healthy Weight
For avoiding joint pain, it is necessary to avoid burdening them unnecessarily. And you can do that effectively by maintaining an ideal weight. You ought to have a Body Mass Index (BMI) between 18.5 – 24.9 depending on your respective weight and height. You can calculate your BMI here.
Know that removing the excessive burden from your joints saves them from unnecessary stress, especially for weight-bearing joints like knee joints, ankle joints, and hip joints. A study from 2019 confirms that reducing a load of muscle mass on your joint helps function efficiently and eradicates the development of diseases like osteoarthritis.
Visit Your Spa Regularly
Properly caring for your joints also involves regular visits to the spa. Most spa treatments involve heat therapies which help relieve the stiff muscles and joints. For example, consider a hot tub bath. These baths have pulsating jets, which can target joints and offer a gentle, refreshing massage to them. The massage helps improve blood circulation in the muscles surrounding the joints. Thus, it relieves the joints. Moreover, it cuts down the inflammation in the body and assists the release of serotonin which relieves the mind.
Start with Cycling
Next to walking, experts recommend cycling for healthy joints because it maintains a balance. It is an aerobic exercise that provides ample movement to the joints without overburdening them. It does not involve any heavyweights or excessive activity. We recommend trying a hand at mountain bikes, recumbent bikes, hybrid bikes, etc. Just choose one that offers the best stability!
Use Compression Socks
If you are much into sports and put your body through loads of daily activity, then compression socks are a must for you. These socks also help with stiff muscles and joints by increasing blood flow. And these are particularly helpful for people with pain, stiffness, or poor blood flow in the lower legs (for example, in varicose veins).
Our best recommendation is the Cep compression socks, as they provide the fastest recovery to stiff and stressed muscles. These are good for anyone who runs errands all day long. Be it students or teachers, nurses or managers. It works for all. Plus, it is particularly beneficial for pregnant women who face massive amounts of swelling all day and every day in their journey to motherhood.
Avoid Inflammatory Food
Some of the food in our diet can lead to inflammation. And inflammation, in return, can release chemicals that directly attack the joints. It may cause excessive joint fluid, joint swelling, and muscle loss. Hence, the foodstuffs that we should avoid include sugary foodstuffs such as pastries, desserts, chocolate bars, and even fruit juices. Similarly, we must also avoid sources of Trans Fat and Saturated Fats. Pizza and cheese are, by far, the greatest source of saturated fats, while frozen breakfast products, margarine, crackers, and cookies are some common sources of Trans Fat.
Quit Smoking
If you are into smoking and wish to keep your joints healthy, then you have two diverging roads in front of you, and you ought to choose one – of course, the healthy one. Smoking contributes to the development of bone fractures and osteoporosis, and it also makes us prone to injuries like bursitis and tendonitis. Heavy smokers also tend to have higher risks of rheumatoid arthritis and pain in the lower back. So, quit smoking right away if you wish to improve your joint health.
Get More of Vitamin D & Calcium
One solid way of caring for your joints is to increase the intake of calcium and Vitamin D. Calcium improves bone health and eradicates the risk of decreased bone density and consequent fractures. Vitamin D assists in the absorption of calcium. So, naturally, they don’t work without one another. Ensure you take supplements for both. Or at least spend more of your time in sunlight as it gives plenty of Vitamin D.
Final Thoughts
Summing up, caring for your joints and maintaining them in a healthy state is not a tough task. If you prioritize it rightfully, you will be able to care for your joints smoothly. Just get yourself moving and incorporate the tips above in your regular practices. And if anything’s keeping you back, begin with a 30-minute walk each day!
