7 Best Techniques on How to Strengthen Joints
Your joints serve two primary functions in your body. To help you move parts of the body and also protect your internal organs from external damage. Without joints, the human body would look like a random mass of flesh and bones. Joints hold the skeleton together and keep the body upright and in excellent form. Hence, the need to maintain strong joints.
Think of them as the knots that hold the pieces of a powerful machine together. If the knots fall off, the machine would also fall apart. The older you get, the more attention you must pay the joints. Strong joints help you remain mobile even when your body slows down in old age. Compared to your younger years, your body loses mass later in your life, causing the bones to weaken.
In addition to visiting a chiropractor for assistance, there are various activities and exercises that can boost the strength of your joints. Here are some steps on how to strengthen joints:
1. Exercise Frequently
Exercising is the first step that you need to do to strengthen your joints. Many people avoid exercising because of the impact of toxic diet culture. However, there are many other beneficial reasons for working out. One way to live a healthy life is by building firm muscles and joints. The most common way to achieve this is through exercise. The more you work out, the more flexibility you incorporate into your joints. Flexible joints help you move faster and quicker.
Remember that working out shouldn’t cause you pain. While physical therapists recommend weight training exercises for muscle building, you can also strengthen your joints with regular exercise routines.
2. Take Longer Walks
Working out in the gym is ideal for boosting your mental and physical health. But this can’t work for everybody. If exercises aren’t your thing, consider incorporating long walks as part of your fitness routine. Even if you work out, walking decompresses your ankle and knee joints, keeping them flexible.
Maintaining a sedentary lifestyle weakens the joints. The key to maintaining healthy joints is through frequent movement and activity. Are you wondering how to take long walks? Shorten your bus commute and walk through a part of it. If you work close to your house, take a stroll. Go hiking or take a meditative walk.
3. Maintain Your Ideal Weight
The joints require great strength to hold the body parts together in motion. The body mass index determines an ideal weight range to maintain for optimum health, based on your height and morphology. Lower or higher weight levels can affect your joint strength.
Excessive body weight places pressure on the joints and knees, causing difficulty and pain while walking. Underweight bodies also face the risk of osteoporosis, a condition defined by brittle joints and bones prone to breaking. Embrace a positive approach to fitness, and maintain a healthy weight to keep your bones strong.
4. Eat Foods Rich In Vitamins and Calcium
Like the human body, powerful engines require lubricated joints and parts for efficient performance. Calcium and Vitamin D boost bone strength and muscle health. To improve bone strength, eat foods rich in these elements.
Incorporate foods like dairy, grains, spinach, soybeans, kale, and fish rich in omega 3-fatty acids into your diet. Humans derive Vitamin D directly from the sun. So get in the sun as much as you can. But don’t forget to wear sunscreen.
5. Sit Less
We’ve all seen one of those old rusty machines that become rickety after sitting for too long. In the same vein, the joints become tight from inactivity. Whether you work from home or spend a lot of time sitting, your body would ache after sitting in front of a screen for a long time. This is because the muscles and joints become stiff from staying sedentary.
Sitting for too long lowers blood circulation and limits the supply of nutrients to your joints. Instead of hunching over your computer all day, get some movement into your work schedule. Alternate between standing and sitting using a standing desk.
6. Stretch Your Muscles
Elementary school science shows how friction causes wear and tear. Too much activity can also apply pressure to your joints. Intensive activities like exercise can injure your joints if you don’t stretch properly after each session.
Before and after working out, stretch the muscles and joints to prepare them for movement. Plan rest days to help your bones and joints recover from intense workout activities. Use a foam roller or practice yoga exercises to stretch out tense muscles and joints.
7. Avoid Smoking
Did you know smoking increases the risk of osteoporosis and bone fracture? Frequent smoking weakens the bone density and exposes the joints to fracture and injury. Fractures from this condition can cause permanent disability. Tobacco limits the bone’s absorption of calcium which contributes to the skeleton’s agility and strength.
If you can, quit smoking to lower your chances of developing symptoms of osteoporosis. Adopt a healthy diet and eat calcium-rich foods. Cut out alcohol from your diet as well.
