Disclaimer– I am not a doctor, and everything written in this post is to be used for informational use only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Any actions you take from the content of this post, you are doing so at your own risk, and I am not responsible for any negative outcomes.
Joint pain is something that a lot of us will experience as we get older because as we you get older you lose bone density and will become weaker if you don’t maintain your strength which puts you at a slightly higher risk for medical conditions such as arthritis. Anyone can start to experience joint pain at any age and arthritis is not something that only happens when you are old because there are a lot of young people with joint problems. When you have Spina Bifida or any physical disability, you are at a slightly higher of developing a joint problem such as osteoporosis because you put a lot more stress on your joints just to function than a non-disabled person would. Arthritis is not something that is always preventable, and sometimes it happens but if you take care of your joints before you have pain, sometimes you can prevent it from happening. Many of my joints do not function properly, which is the reason I walk with crutches, and I can’t change that, but I can do my best to protect my joints so I don’t have more problems. How can you protect your joints? In this post, I am going to share what I do to protect my joints to prevent joint issues.
Do a little strength training- I will always have orthopedic issues because a lot of my muscles do not work properly, and there is no exercise I can do to change that. Strength training is important for your joints because you can start to lose bone density as early as your thirties and forties, but you can prevent that from happening by strength training. I have been strength training consistently for over ten years and am convinced that my strength training routine is the reason I don’t have more joint pain. A few years ago, I started experiencing pain in my arms and shoulders from weak muscles that went away when I started strength training. You don’t have to train the same way I do, but it is so important that you do some kind of resistance training, whether that is with dumbbells or bodyweight movements. Cardio is great for weight loss, but don’t skip strength training because as you get older it become more important. You should be strength training a minimum of two days a week for better joint health, but should aim for three.
Eat a healthy diet- It is important to do your strength training exercises but you should never underestimate the power of good nutrition because it’s just as important as regular exercise. Nutrition plays a major role in good joint health because if you aren’t eating enough to support your bones and have deficiencies, it will cause joint pain. Make sure you are eating a healthy diet and take supplements such as collagen to support your joints if you have to, because you can’t out-train an unhealthy diet.
Don’t neglect stretching- People sometimes are consistent with doing their exercise routine, but when it comes to stretching, it’s not as much of a priority. Do not skip stretching even if you don’t exercise because it is so important for maintaining the flexibility in your joints, which will help decrease your risk of injury. I do a lot upper stretching because I spend hours typing on the computer, writing blog posts, and exercise a lot. I would not recommend someone who has arthritis to do my hand stretches because it would probably be more painful, and that is something you do as a preventative before you have joint pain. Stretching can help relieve pain and improve your workout performance because if you are too tight your movement will be restricted.
Quit smoking- Smoking causes inflammation throughout your entire body and there are a lot of reasons you should quit because it can cause a lot of avoidable health problems. Most people know that smoking can cause lung cancer, but it can also cause joint pain because people who smoke are more likely to have joint damage than non-smokers and it is one of the main triggers of arthritis. If you smoke and want to avoid medical conditions that cause joint pain, you might want to think about quitting before it’s too late. I have never been a smoker and don’t think I ever will be because nothing good comes from smoking, but I do hold a lot of space for people who struggle to quit.
Take a break from high-impact workouts- High-impact workouts such as running can burn a lot of calories and improve your cardiovascular health but it can be very hard on your joints and over time lead to pain. I am not suggesting that you quit your high-impact workouts entirely but it is important to give yourself adequate rest because if you are going hard every single day with no rest it can put a lot more stress on your joints and cause damage. Make sure you are taking breaks from high-impact workouts to allow your body to recover and get stronger because our bodies are not designed to do high-impact workouts seven days a week.
When you get older it is common to struggle with joint pain because throughout our lives we put a lot of wear and tear on our muscles. People sometimes wait until they start experiencing pain to take care of themselves, but I can’t stress enough how important it is to take care of yourself before you have pain, because after you have it, often it’s too late. Don’t wait until you are in your sixties and seventies to start exercising because what you do when you are young can affect how you age. Start developing good habits now because it’s never too late to start taking care of yourself. I may never be able to prevent arthritis, but I am going to do whatever I can to avoid needing a second hip replacement, because you don’t want to have to put yourself through major surgery if there is a way to prevent it. You don’t have to take a bunch of expensive supplements to improve your joint health because something as simple as exercising and eating healthy can drastically improve pain. How do you protect your joints and prevent pain? If you liked this post, please leave a comment below and share it with your friends.
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