How To Maintain Healthy Joints

Unhealthy joints affect a person’s quality of life in many ways, since we have to use our joints to do everything from eating to walking. Keeping your joints healthy should therefore be as important as maintaining a healthy heart.

Moving is one of the best things you can do to keep your joints healthy. This is due to the fact that when the body is in motion, the synovial fluid within the joints also moves and nourishes them while keeping them flexible. Movement also strengthens the joints by strengthening the muscles which surround them. Therefore engage in low impact exercises like brisk walking, swimming and cycling for at least 30 minutes five times a week.

Maintaining a good posture is another thing you can do to keep your healthy joints. Therefore correct yourself and sit up straight or stand upright to avoid throwing your body out of alignment and putting extra pressure on joints from your neck to your knees.

Maintaining a healthy body weight also helps to keep your joints healthy, since two pounds of extra weight gives your lower body around 8 pounds of extra weight to carry. This in turn puts you at a high risk of developing degenerative joint diseases like osteoarthritis.

Eating a diet that is rich in nutrients which feed the bones can also prevent bone and joint diseases. Therefore ensure that you consume adequate amounts of calcium, which can be obtained from dairy products like milk and cheese. If you are a vegan you can consume broccoli, kale and almond milk to get your calcium.

Vitamin D is another key nutrient since it helps the body absorb calcium. It can be obtained from fortified foods like cereals and soy milk. Foods which are rich in potassium, phosphorous, magnesium and zinc should also be consumed since they also strengthen bones by increasing their density.

Written by: Marian Kim, FizzNiche Staff Writer

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