DISCLAIMER
This website does not provide medical advice. The information on this page is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a physician.
These easy ways to improve joint health at home can help to prevent or alleviate pain. Always talk to your doctor about any form of persistent joint that you may be experiencing, so that underlying causes may be fully addressed.
Exercises to strengthen joints throughout your body can be done in the comfort of your home at any stage of life. Even if you’re bedridden, there are exercises such as palm stretches which you can do to help improve joint mobility.
Consume Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Your diet should have omega-3 fatty acids, since these are good for your joints. You can get these from food sources but if you are not able to do so consistently, consider taking a supplement that has a good mix of omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids.
If you focus only on ingesting omega-3 fatty acids, you will eventually end up with an imbalance that can cause problems with brain function and your mood. Omega-6 fatty acids can be found in the following:
- Corn oil
- Soya oil
- Sunflower oil
Omega-3 fatty acids are in:
- Liver
- Kidney
- Nori
- Fish
If you eat sushi often, you will get omega-3 fatty acids, from the nori and seafood sources. Similarly, if you eat tinned tuna or fresh fish every week, you’ll help your joints to feel less painful.
Several people like to take cod liver oil. While this may not be as tasty as a good meal with battered and fried cod fillets, cod liver oil gives you vitamin D as well, which also helps your joints.
Increase Vitamin D in Your Diet
Your body can make vitamin D and will do so once conditions are optimal. If you live in an area that doesn’t get a lot of sunlight, are deficient in other nutrients required for making vitamin D in the body or are facing another challenge, your body won’t have the resources necessary to deliver enough vitamin D.
You can develop a deficiency that affects your joints and triggers several other problems. Eating foods with vitamin D helps to solve that problem. Add the following tasty foods which are rich sources of vitamin D to your diet:
- Mushrooms
- Fortified cereal
- Jack mackerel
- Fortified orange juice
How to Strengthen Joints and Tendons and Improve Posture Through Exercise
Exercises that strengthen the muscles around your hips, knees and shoulders improve your posture and put less strain on these joints. It’s important to start off with such exercises at a pace that is right for you. Even if you’re eighty and consider yourself a fit hiker, any new form of exercise should be eased into at a measured pace.
Strengthening the ligaments, tendons and muscles that support your joints increases your stability. Seniors who exercise regularly are less likely to become unsteady on their feet or get injured.
Consider doing stability exercises which strengthen your joints and improve your balance, such as:
- Side leg raises
- Back leg raises
- Walking heel to toe
Flexibility exercises like Pilates help your joints. Weight training, even with two-pound weights, improves joint stability. The right exercises:
- Reduce the load that your joints experience
- Strengthen your muscles to support your daily tasks
- Improve your posture to reduce joint pressure
How Can You Improve Your Joint Health by Increasing Collagen?
Collagen is used in your ligaments and tendons. If your body cannot get enough protein to make collagen, your ligaments and tendons will become weak and they won’t be able to support movement in the way that they’re designed to. This will make you prone to joint injuries, even as you perform simple activities such as lifting a chair.
Taking protein supplements helps to strengthen your joints and it helps to keep your skin looking good as well. The amino acids needed to make collagen can also be obtained from foods such as:
- Eggs
- Oats
- Sardines
- Meatballs
Tips for Healthy Joints – Stretch Regularly
You should do stretching exercises regularly and before any activity. If you plan to rake your yard or walk to the store, stretch before and after.
Stretching protects your joints from injury. The following stretches can be done on your own or with a child, to help them develop a healthy lifestyle habit:
- Overhead arm stretch
- Tricep stretch
- Arms wide
How to Naturally Improve Your Joint Health With Mobility Exercises
You can improve your joint mobility with easy exercises. These help to increase your range of motion even if you suffer from arthritis.
If you sit for long periods daily because of work or ill health, you may have already lost mobility in your joints. These are just some of the exercises that can help you to regain your range of motion:
- Butterfly hip stretches
- Hip rotations
- Shoulder pass through stretches
How Can You Improve Your Joint Health by Losing Weight?
During pregnancy, women carry around about nine extra pounds, courtesy of the beautiful soul developing inside them. They may experience joint pain because extra pressure is placed on their knees, back and other areas. This pain often eases after birth.
Weight gain puts your joints under strain and this doesn’t just happen during pregnancy. If you change jobs and find yourself sitting at a desk more often, you could gain weight and knee pain along with that.
There are several ways to protect your joints even during pregnancy.:
- Eat healthy foods but don’t overeat
- Do low-impact exercises with a doctor’s supervision
- Massage your joints
- Rest
If you’re clinically obese, take steps to lose the extra weight. Eat smaller portions and get an hour of exercise at least three times a week. This will place less pressure on your joints.
How to Improve Your Joint Health With Heat
Applying a heat pad to painful joints can help. Heat increases lubrication in the joints, so the pain that is experienced with less ideal levels of synovial fluid is less debilitating. It also helps with joint stiffness and muscle tension around the area. Like other simple tips to protect your joints, this works best when used regularly for maintaining wellness.
By Admin –