Healthy joints and bones are the foundation of a healthy, pain-free life. Prioritizing joint health is crucial for maintaining everyday mobility, balance and flexibility to perform daily tasks with ease.
Joints are the connections between bones that allow the body parts like knees, elbows, hips, and shoulders to move. However, with age, it becomes difficult to maintain healthy joints due to constant wear and tear.
In order to maintain healthy bones and joints right from a young age, one needs to take care of certain aspects in their everyday lives. Here, we bring you tips for healthy joints to lead an overall healthier life. Read on to know more!
Tips to Improve Joint Health
- Keep moving
This has to be the golden rule of joint health! Move, move, move, as much as you can throughout the day. It’s simple- more the movement, lesser the stiffness in your bones and joints. Whatever you are doing, take a break from the sitting position and move a little after every 20-30 minutes. Did you know that sitting is considered the new smoking? Quit sitting for longer period of time and just walk- while you are reading, taking calls, listening to music, or even working.
- Exercise regularly
Regular exercise is one of the key factors that help in maintaining healthy, flexible joints for a longer period of time. It not only strengthens the joints, but also improves muscle strength, which in turn eases the strain on the joints. Incorporating different types of physical activities in your daily routine is a great way to ensure lesser injuries and quicker recoveries. It can range from simple exercises like walking and swimming to strength training, yoga, core exercises, and cardio training.
Pro tip: Do not overdo the exercises; that could lead to injury or damage.
- Maintain a healthy weight
Maintaining a healthy weight is one of the most ideal things to do in order to preserve joint health. If you carry additional weight, it tends to increase the pressure and strain on your joints, especially the weight-bearing joints like knees, hips, ankles, and back. When this continues to occur for a long period of time, it results in joint damage caused by inflammation, and bone-related diseases like arthritis, osteoarthritis, and osteoporosis.
Stick to a balanced diet for healthy weight management. Regularly consume plant-based weight management supplements that would aid your weight management journey.
- Treat injuries promptly
In case you suffer from a joint injury, consult a doctor immediately. Keeping it untreated could worsen the injury and damage. While it is in the treatment and healing phase, do not put weight on the joint. If need be and if in pain, do not bend the injured joint. In order to treat the not-so-severe joint injuries, practice the RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) technique.
- Practice a good posture
Bad posture can lead to abnormal stress and damage to the joints over time. Maintaining a good posture can allow the muscles to work more efficiently in order to support the joints. Always stand and sit up straight with shoulders back, head levelled and in line with the body, and abdomen tucked in. It is very important for individuals in the corporate profession to incorporate the right posture, as they spend most of their time sitting.
Pro tip- Walking and swimming do help with posture correction.
- Get your calcium and vitamin D
Joint health is directly related to bone health. Your joints will not be healthy if the bones connecting them aren’t. Consuming a calcium-rich diet including milk and dairy products, almonds, leafy greens, beans, salmon and sardines is crucial for bone and joint health. Vitamin D is essential for the absorption of calcium in the body. This sunshine vitamin is found in dairy products, fatty fish, and breakfast cereals. Sunlight is also one of the greatest sources of accumulating vitamin D.
It might be difficult for your body to absorb vitamin D from the sun and food sources. You can choose natural, vegan vitamin D3 supplements to gather up your sunshine vitamin!
- Stock up on essential nutrients
Eating healthy nutritious food helps improve joint health and muscle strength. Consuming lean proteins, macronutrients and micronutrients, helps reduce inflammation and pain. Vitamins (vitamin B12), minerals, and healthy fats (omega-3 fatty acids) are incredibly vital for joint health. They help with joint pain, joint mobility and flexibility, hand grip, knee pain, injury pain, and other joint-related issues.
Foods like beetroot, eggs, fortified cereals are rich in vitamin B12. Olive oil, green leafy vegetables, nuts, berries, tomatoes, and fatty fish are a great source of omega-3. For a natural and vegan alternative, switch to plant-based B12 and natural omega-3 supplements.
- Supplement for joint care
Daily wear and tear of joints, along with age, lead to weakness, pain, inflammation, and increase the risk of other bone-related diseases. One of the best ways to ensure bone and joint health is to engage in advanced joint care for your optimal health. Satvam Nutrition’s Advanced Joint Care supplement is an all-natural, chemical-free, and plant-based solution for your everyday joint care to ensure long-term joint health.
Lifestyle Changes are Key to Optimal Joint Health
Everyday hustle of the modern life requires you to pay more heed to the needs of your body. One of the most common concerns found in the youth as well as ageing individuals is that of joint and muscle health. Sedentary life, poor diet, lack of physical exercise, and overall diminished quality of life are the biggest contributors of subsiding joint health. Incorporating certain lifestyle changes is the key to gain back and sustain your optimal joint health.
Trust Satvam Nutrition for its plant-based, sugar-free supplements for everyday wellness to stay healthy and happy naturally!