Do your joints hurt or stiff when you rise from a chair or get out of bed? Do your knees pop and crackle? You are not alone because most people experience joint stiffness and pain as they get old, especially when they reach the age of 60. As you age, the connective tissue and cartilage that protects joints tend to become thinner and wear down, resulting in various conditions, such as osteoarthritis. This condition causes inflammation and pain. Age and genetics are the leading causes of joint deterioration, but there are practical tips to protect your knees and extend your joints’ life.

Remain Physically Active

While it seems counterintuitive to strain and stress your body more, exercising is one of the best ways to lower joint pain. First, working out helps strengthen the muscles around the joints and, in the process, eliminates pressure. Second, it helps enhance nutrient flow to the cartilage. However, when choosing a suitable exercise, it’s worth noting there is no one-size-fits-all for the elderly. But opting for low-impact activities, such as walking, swimming, and biking is essential if you have joint pain.

Talk to a Physician

If you have any arthritis or joint pain symptoms, it’s sensible to contact a professional doctor. This way, it becomes easy to receive a precise diagnosis as soon as possible so that you initiate treatment. Early and effective treatment is vital in restraining symptoms and preventing the disease from becoming risky. By visiting a doctor, you can get regenerative therapy that helps reduce inflammation, build new tissues, and help avoid scar formation.

Maintain a Healthy Weight

It is known that excess weight strains knee joints, and individuals with arthritis should maintain a healthy weight and lose excess weight to avoid exerting pressure on joints. If you are obese or overweight, shedding as little as 10 lbs can help lower pain and enhance your physicality. Irrespective of your age, arthritis-friendly physical and low-impact activities and a healthy diet can help you reduce weight. Remember that managing weight also entails avoiding carrying heavy items like grocery bags so that you can protect your small joints.

Protect Your Joints

Any injury to joints can worsen or cause arthritis. Therefore, instead of high-intensity workouts, perform low-impact exercises with minimal injury risk. Injuries from work, vehicle accidents, and sports can increase the risk of developing joint pain. If possible, you should adhere to several guidelines, such as avoiding repetitive motion joint damage and putting on protective gear to minimize or prevent joint injuries.

Replace Sugary Drinks with Water

Are you aware that water accounts for approximately 80% of the connective, flexible tissue that protects your joints? Your body will begin to get water from the joint areas if you are not well-hydrated. You should drink water over sodas and energy drinks, as this will assist you in delivering excellent hydration to your heart and joints. Always drink water whenever you feel thirsty, mainly when exercising and during the summer.

Quit Smoking

Tobacco and smoking harm most organs in your body, and the damage may comprise the joints. The chances of having painful joints are high if you are a regular smoker. Doctors say that smoking increases inflammation all through your body, making it challenging for the body to recover and heal from any injury you get. Although quitting smoking altogether is pretty hard, you should seek support from experts to improve your success chances.

Warm Up Before Exercising

Most people don’t stretch their muscles whenever they go to the gym. Failure to warm up your body before you get on the treadmill can overload and strain your joints. Therefore, always include warm-up and cool-down exercises that last about five minutes to reduce joint pain.

Conclusion

As you have seen, there are several activities you can undertake to manage joint pain. The daily activities you choose to do to manage your condition and stay healthy are self-management strategies. So, practice these essential tips to lower symptoms and get relief so you can easily accomplish other crucial activities. The best thing about the steps mentioned above is that they can help you manage other underlying chronic conditions like obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.