The Importance of Joint Health
Joints play a vital role in overall health. They allow you to move freely by maintaining a durable connection between muscles and bones. Supporting joint health, especially the complex joints in your hips, knees, lower back, shoulders and fingers, can be made difficult by the natural effects of aging, as well as other medical and behavioral issues. Knowing and practicing a handful of exercises for joint health may do wonders to help strength muscles, and maintain your range of motion, well into old age.
Why Is Your Joint Health So Critical to Overall Health?
Joint discomfort and stiffness can strongly discourage physical exercise and mobility. People with arthritis often feel they cannot move or will experience severe pain if they do. This makes them more prone to damaging sedentary behaviors such as sitting still for long periods of time. In turn, being sedentary may negatively impact body weight, mental health, and the health of the cardiovascular system.
The Importance of Physical Activity as You Age
One in three Americans over the age of 60 are living with osteoarthritis, a degenerative condition in which the surface cartilage within a joint breaks down and wears away, allowing the bones to rub together. The results are pain, swelling, and a loss of motion.
Osteoarthritis is often associated mostly with older people. And it’s true both that the risk of osteoarthritis increases with age, and that most people’s joints weather as they get older. But this doesn’t mean you’re condemned to experience limited mobility and joint pain in old age.
Regular exercise is the best way to encourage strong joint connections and counteract the effects of natural weathering.
Can Muscle Strength Encourage Joint Health?
Yes. There is plentiful evidence that a program of regular physical exercise can help mitigate joint degradation. And doctors are recommending carefully selected strengthening exercises alongside other factors to help encourage good joint health.
Strength Training the Right Way: Don’t Overexert Yourself
Building strength in the muscles surrounding your joints is an excellent way to reduce the pain and immobility that can result from worn cartilage. But attacking the problem in a sudden rush might make things worse. The answer is slow, steady progress, and following a daily routine which should include:
- Leg-raises
- Hamstring stretches
- Finger muscle stretches
- Grip exercises
Just make sure to get approval from your doctor before trying any new exercise routine. When it comes to pain and stiffness, be aware and be honest. Remember that surrendering to immobility won’t help loosen up the joint. Know your body’s limits, but don’t give up too easily. To find out more about functional strength training Click Here
Maintaining Range of Motion: Extend, Bend, And Rotate
Daily exercises which focus on your range of motion may help keep your joints functional. Aim for a strong core and good posture, but again, avoid sudden movements or demanding exercises such as burpees, jumping rope, or doing squats, long jumps, or jumping jacks.
Joint Health: A Long-Term Project
You’ll want to make sure to put your safety first. Taking care of your joints is a personal project that offers major rewards. You’ll reap these rewards later in life, with potentially better joint health and mobility. By taking control of your diet and adding simple, daily exercises which help maintain your flexibility and range of motion, you can both care for and support your joints so that they remain functional, well into old age.
Joints are the connecting links that put both bones and muscles in motion. Given the important functions of mobility and movement, it becomes crucial that you take good care of your joints. After all, you put them through so much wear and tear throughout your life. Joints that aren’t well taken care of become susceptible to injury, inflammation and general dislocation.
As age catches up with you, you can feel the effects of overuse weathering away your joints. So keep your joints healthy at every stage of your life so they can keep moving even in old age. Click here to access the program today!
