Almost all body movements involve bones and joints. Therefore, it is important to know how to maintain healthy joints and bones so that you can carry out daily activities comfortably and smoothly.
Joints are joints or ties between two bones and play an important role in body movement. There are many joints in the body, such as the shoulders, arms, wrists, fingers, hips, groin, knees, feet, and toes.
For some conditions, joints can experience problems, such as stiffness and pain. Joint pain can be a symptom of various types of diseases, such as gout, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis.
How to Maintain Joint Health
The following are some tips you can do to maintain joint health:
1. Do exercise regularly
Some studies say that infrequent exercise can make muscles, bones, and joints weaker. Lack of physical activity is also known to increase the risk of arthritis.
Therefore, to maintain joint health, you are advised to exercise regularly for at least 30 minutes every day or at least 3-5 times a week.
Not only good for bone and joint health, regular exercise is also good for maintaining heart health and function and improving blood flow.
2. Stop smoking
Smoking habits are one of the factors that can increase the risk of various health problems. The reason is, in addition to increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, lung disorders, and cancer, smoking can also interfere with the health of the body's joints.
Therefore, quitting smoking is one way you can start to maintain joint health and overall body health.
3. Maintain ideal body weight
To maintain optimal joint health and strength, it is important for you to maintain an ideal body weight. This is because being overweight or obese can increase the pressure on the joints, especially the joints that are used to support the body's weight, such as the knees and feet.
As a result, the joints will be easily weakened and impaired. By maintaining an ideal body weight, the joint burden will be reduced so that the joints will be more flexible and strong.
4. Improve posture
Poor posture, such as frequent bending over, can make the joints of the body break down more quickly. In addition, the habit of lifting heavy objects or often doing repetitive movements can also damage joints over time. These habits can make the body susceptible to back pain or knee pain.
Therefore, make it a habit to sit and stand in a straight position, and rest when the body starts to get tired after activities.
5. Meet the needs of vitamin D and calcium
Vitamin D and calcium are two types of nutrients that play an important role in maintaining the strength and health of bones and joints. Lack of both nutritional intake is known to cause osteoporosis.
To meet the body's vitamin D needs, you can regularly bask in the morning sun, before 9 am, or take vitamin D supplements.
Meanwhile, to meet calcium needs, you can consume foods high in calcium, such as milk, cheese, yogurt, and nuts, or additional calcium supplements.
If all this time you have not paid attention to joint health, from now on try to routinely apply the ways to maintain joint health above. However, if you experience certain joint complaints, such as stiff, swollen, or painful joints, consult your doctor so that treatment can be carried out immediately.
