Maintain Or Improve Your Joints

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​Joint problems can cause pain, stiffness, and mobility issues as you age. Specific lifestyle changes and activities can help maintain or improve your joint health.  Healthy joints allow you to walk, grasp things, and make other movements without discomfort.  

Lifestyle Changes Can Help You Maintain Or Improve Your Joints Health
By Pierre Mouchette | Bits-n-Pieces

Most people do not think about their joints until a health issue affects them.  Your joints are essential for your health and mobility.  But, as you get older, they may become more susceptible to wear and tear.  Caring for your joints can help you to prevent or manage age-related changes. 
Why should you keep your joints healthy as you age?
Joints are connections between your bones that allow movement.  These complex meeting points comprise cartilage, ligaments, and tendons.  They also include specialized fluids that lessen friction and cushion your bones.  Healthy joints help you make movements such as walking, bending, lifting, and grasping effortlessly and painlessly.
Difficulties with your joints can happen at any age, but as you get older, your joints may experience natural wear and tear.  Age-related musculoskeletal changes are partly to blame.  It includes less bone density, synovial fluid, cartilage, and muscle mass.  These changes can lead to joint disorders or injuries such as arthritis, sprains or strains, and tendinitis.  Maintaining joint health can help prevent changes affecting your mobility and well-being.
 
What is the risk of joint deterioration?
When joints break down or deteriorate, it may cause inflammation, pain, and stiffness.  Symptoms can limit your ability to do certain activities.  In having joint problems, you are most likely to have trouble:

• Grasping small items
• Pushing or pulling large or heavy objects
• Bending, stooping, or kneeling
• Sitting or standing for long periods
• Walking or climbing stairs without resting
• Reaching above the head
• Carrying items that weigh as little as ten pounds.

Joint deterioration can affect your general well-being.  For example, arthritic pain can lead to physical limitations that may interfere with work and personal life, and for some, less mobility and independence can cause additional stress.  It explains why adults with arthritis are more likely to report lower health-related quality of life (HRQOL) than those without arthritis.
 
Tips for maintaining joint health
Getting older does not mean joint pain, stiffness, or limited mobility is unavoidable.  No matter your age, there are vital steps you can take to protect your joints, such as:
Try to maintain a healthy weight - Research shows that obesity is the primary risk factor for osteoarthritis.  Extra pounds can stress weight-bearing joints, including your back, knees, hips, and ankles.  So, maintaining a healthy weight can keep your joints in better shape.  Keep in mind that a healthy weight is different for everyone.  Speak with your healthcare provider if you have any questions.
Get regular exercise - Some people worry that exercise can cause or worsens joint problems.  Adding exercise to your routine can keep your joints lubricated and healthy.  Staying active may prevent or reduce joint pain, stiffness, and inflammation.  Regular exercise may also protect against cartilage damage.
Experiment with these exercises for joint health:

• Walking - low-impact exercises like walking put less stress on your joints.  The steady movement also increases blood flow, supplying your cartilage with nutrients to protect your bones and joints. Studies confirm that walking was associated with less pain in people with knee osteoarthritis.
  
  
• Strength training - strength-training exercises can also keep your joints healthy.  It has been shown to improve muscle strength, joint function, and pain in people with osteoarthritis.
  
  
• Neuromuscular training - helps to improve sensorimotor control and mobility.  The exercise combines functional and sport-specific movements and may help older adults, including those with hip or knee arthritis, boost physical function.
  
  
• Tai chi - The American College of Rheumatology and the Arthritis Foundation offer recommendations for joint health.  Their 2019 guidelines strongly suggest practicing tai chi to maintain or improve knee or hip joint health.
  
  
• Aquatic exercise - resistance exercises performed in water improves knee joint cartilage thickness, according to studies.  Experts note that water-based activities offer a challenge but are easy on the joints.

The CDC recommends that adults get 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise 5 times per week.  It is a great way to boost your joint health and overall well-being.
 
Add anti-inflammatory foods to your diet
Chronic inflammation raises your risk of developing various conditions, like arthritis.  Fortunately, certain foods can help fight inflammation in your body, including your joints.  Examples of anti-inflammatory foods include:

• Leafy green vegetables, such as broccoli, kale, and spinach
• Berries, including strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries
• Nuts and seeds, like almonds, walnuts, and chia seeds
• Fatty fish, such as salmon, trout, and sardines

These and many other anti-inflammatory foods have vital nutrients, including antioxidants, that can help protect your joints.
 
Make sure that you are drinking enough water
Joint cartilage consists mainly of water.  Adequate water intake helps to make synovial fluid in your joints. This gel-like liquid protects your bones from wear and tear.  But how much water should you drink every day for ideal hydration?  Generally, you can let your thirst be your guide unless otherwise directed by your healthcare provider.
 
Warm up before and cool down after exercise
You might be tempted to skip the warmup or cooldown when you exercise.  But ignoring these critical steps in your workout routine could raise your risk of joint injury.  Studies have found that just 15 minutes of warming up and cooling down can reduce the risk of injuries.
Experts recommend starting your workout slowly to raise your heart rate and warm your muscles.  To cool down, you can slowly lower your training intensity until your heart and breathing rates return to normal.  Then, while your muscles are still warm, finish your cooldown with stretching exercises.  Try dynamic stretches for your warm-up and static stretches for your cooldown.
 
If you smoke, consider quitting
Smoking cigarettes may be harmful to your bones and joints.  For example, smoking raises the risk of osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis.  Research suggests that people with arthritis who smoke cigarettes may have more cartilage loss and pain than those who do not.  So, if you smoke and want to improve your general and joint health, there are effective ways to quit smoking.
 
Do supplements work to keep joints healthy?
Many advertisements claim you can boost your bone or joint health with vitamins and supplements.  But research on their effectiveness is mixed.  
Research shows that the following supplements offer short-term improvements in arthritis pain:

• Boswellia serrata extract (Indian frankincense)
• Collagen hydrolysate (collagen broken down into easy-to-absorb particles)
• Curcuma longa extract (part of the turmeric plant)
• Curcumin (a compound found in turmeric)
• L-carnitine (an amino acid)
• Passion fruit peel extract (made from the peels of purple passion fruit)
• Pycnogenol (French maritime pine bark extract)

Note:  Some supplements can even cause side effects or interfere with your other medications.  So, it is best to talk to your healthcare provider before adding them to your daily routine.