Are you putting too much stress on your arthritic joints? You might worsen the pain and increase the risk of developing joint deformities. A soft tissue named cartilage may experience wear and tear in case of an injury, putting excessive weight or due to ageing. Therefore it’s necessary to keep the bones, muscles and ligaments strong and stable and keep a watch on body signals. Maintaining strong and healthy bones and muscles is necessary to prevent pain or risk injuries in the long run.
Here are certain ways to protect joints and strengthen:
Weight Control
Overweight people experience problems with knees, hips and back as these weight-bearing joints support a majority of the body weight. Maintaining weight in a healthy range becomes essential and it works well for your joints. Losing weight may reduce pressure on these parts and prevent any injury. Keep your weight in check and have a proper balance to reduce excessive burden on joints and muscles.
Exercise
This could help you maintain a healthy weight. Opt for aerobic exercises to reduce joint swelling. You may even go swimming, bicycling in case you need low-impact exercises.
Avoid being in the same position for a longer duration, it may cause joints to stiffen. Keep body movement on to protect from rigidness. Perform motion exercises with bending, stretching and extending the joints to reduce stiffness. Even in case of long work schedules, don’t forget to take small breaks in between or take a short walk to rejuvenate your muscles.
Body Mechanism
Following proper body mechanism helps your body be flexible and efficient.
- Carry heavy objects close to your chest and support the weight on your forearms.
- Take the support of abdominal muscles to roll over while you get out of bed
- Avoid twisting positions especially while trying to reach an object from a certain distance.
- While picking certain items from the ground, take the help of knees and hips to stop down.
- Maintain a good posture while sitting and working on your device, else it may cause pain in back
Build Muscles In case of weak muscles, your spine, knees, hips bear a burden. Opt for weight training exercises for building healthy joints, take the help of a certified trainer for doing it the correct way. Perform regular activities for chest, abdomen and back for strength. Don’t lift excessive weight as it may cause unnecessary pain and injury to muscles. Remember, stronger the muscles, stronger the joints.
Protective Items
Wearing a helmet, elbow, wrist and knee pads especially while performing a risky activity like sports may provide you with a good sort of protection. Either minor or serious, injuries could lead to long-term joint pains, so make sure you take prior precaution. Using guards may help reduce stress on joints during activities.
Nourishment for Joints
Build strong bones and muscles with a healthy diet. Take calcium-containing food such as milk, yoghurt, broccoli, eggs, kale and figs. You can go for supplements with expert advice. Include a good protein diet like nuts, soy products, legumes, seafood to get strong muscles. Vitamin D is vital for healthy bones and joints, dairy products such as milk and cereals are fortified with it. In addition, vitamin C and other antioxidants may help with healthy joints.
Takeaway: Arthritis has become a common disease, especially with the growing age. Prior precaution is of utmost importance for prevention in long run. The above steps are recommended to impart strength to your muscles and bones thereby preventing the risk of injury or damage. Plan the activities and keep the aid supplies within reach to avoid last-minute rush which could further increase the strain.
