4 Things You Didn’t Know About Joint Health
By Sandy Jolles, MS
Joints are the areas where your bones come together. There are 360 joints in the body that help you to do everything from writing with a pen and bending down to tie your shoes, to running and playing sports. Without properly functioning joints, it can make it difficult to complete daily tasks, walk, exercise, or complete any tasks that require movement. Injury, age, or carrying excess body weight can all contribute to damaged joints and eventually lead to long term adverse health conditions.
To keep you feeling your best, here are four things you should know about the health of your joints:
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Regular exercise has amazing benefits for your joints
Your joints are meant to move and staying active is a great way to ensure your joints stay healthy so that physical movements and activity are feasible as you get older. Think of your joints like hinges on a door: If they don’t get oiled and opened and closed regularly, they will start getting stiff and sticking. When you exercise, you strengthen the muscles around your joints, which improves balance and strengthens bone tissue. There are many different exercises that support joint health, such as yoga, stretching, low-intensity cardio, swimming, and weight training. Additionally, regular exercise supports flexibility, reduces discomfort, and fights fatigue. Last, but certainly not least, a regular exercise routine can help you maintain a healthy weight–another way to ensure you are keeping your joints healthy.
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Your diet affects the health of your joints
Research shows that eating foods that help the body maintain natural levels of inflammation can have preventative effects on joint discomfort. Diets such as the low-salt DASH diet and Mediterranean diet have been shown to help. In general, focus on eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, lean meat, fish, and legumes. The traditional Western diet – which is high in saturated fats, sugar, and sodium – can cause harm by increasing the level of inflammation in the body. Try to minimize the amount of fried foods, candy, sweet pastries, and sodas you consume to keep your joints functioning optimally.
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Glucosamine can be taken as a nutritional supplement to support joint health*
Glucosamine is a natural compound found in cartilage, the tissues that cushion your joints. Unfortunately, your natural level of glucosamine goes down as you age, which can lead to joint issues. Some studies show that supplementing your diet with glucosamine can help strengthen joints.* Because you can’t get glucosamine from foods, supplementation is the best option. High-quality supplements like HealthyBest Move provides a beneficial amount of glucosamine, plus other ingredients – like MSM and bromelain – that specifically promote the health of your joints.*
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Our joints carry the weight of our body
Carrying extra weight forces your joints to work harder, leading them to more wear and tear. That extra load is especially hard on your knees and hips. In fact, those joints take on three times the amount of weight pressure compared to other parts of the body, meaning an extra 5 pounds feels like an extra 15 pounds on these joints. As you gain weight, cartilage can begin to break down and your joints can become even more stressed by the extra load they have to bear. The good news in this is that even a small amount of weight loss, say 5 pounds, can greatly help your joints. Getting to a healthier weight can be achieved through various interventions, such as exercise and diet, and working with health-care professionals such as a registered dietitian.
Keep these things in mind to ensure your joints are as healthy as possible, so you can keep active and continue doing the things you love. As you may have noticed, many of the things you can do to care for your joints are also great ways to maintain overall health and wellness. And for extra support, HealthyBest Move has you covered with a comprehensive and effective ingredient profile that supports the health of your joints.*
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
