How to keep your joints healthy

Many Australians know the struggle of daily joint stiffness, pain and swelling. Stiffness can affect any joint in the body and may be caused by injury, overuse, or illness. Some types of joint pain may be caused by an underlying condition such as arthritis. Because arthritis can affect people of any age, it’s important to know how to protect yourself and keep your joints healthy.

Stay on the move

The best thing you can do for your joint health is to keep active. If you work in an office, take frequent breaks. Even a five-minute walk around the office every hour will do your body a world of good. If you’re reading or watching TV, change positions as often as you can. Moving around frequently will loosen up your joints and ward off joint and neck stiffness. Low impact exercises such as swimming or biking are great for people with joint pain.

Warm-up before exercise

Before undertaking any strenuous exercise, it’s imperative to warm up properly. If you jump right into your workout without warming up, you risk damaging your joints. A combination of stretching and warming up may be especially beneficial for people with a history of joint pain.

Eat a healthy diet

While there is no particular diet that can cure joint stiffness and pain, some foods may have positive effects on your joints. Maintaining the right intake of calcium and vitamin D is great for bone and joint strength, while omega-3 fatty acids (found in fatty fish) help to reduce swelling.

Pay attention to your posture

Poor posture is a common problem for modern Australians since many of us sit in the same position for long periods of time at work. The solution to this issue is to sit up straight at your desk and avoid slouching while taking time to move around and stretch when possible. If your posture is already in bad shape, a chiropractic doctor can make suggestions for improvement and offer personalised rehabilitation programs.

If you’re looking for a chiropractor Sydney based, consider booking a consultation at My Chiro for a posture check, pain assessment and recommendations for improving your joint health.

Photo: DSC00227 by Andrew_Writer licensed under Creative commons 4