Simple Tips to Keep Your Joints Healthy |
Whether you are suffering from sore and inflamed joints or looking for ways to maintain your joint health, below are five easy tips to help you keep your joints in top shape:
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Keep Moving. Movement eases joint stiffness, reduces joint pain, strengthens the muscles which surround the joints, and help us maintain a healthy weight. Try low-impact activities such as swimming, walking and cycling.
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Try Range-of-Motion Exercises. Routinely put each joint through its full range of motion. Extend, bend, or rotate each of your joints. Range-of-motion exercises improve flexibility, relieve stiffness and pain, and help keep our joints functional.
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Protect Your Joints. The goal of joint-protection principles is to decrease pain and reduce the stress or burden placed on the joints. Avoid activities that stress joints or increase pain, pay attention to proper body mechanics, and balance activity and rest.
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Eat an Anti-Inflammatory Diet. Introduce more fruits, vegetables, beans and legumes into your diet, along with healthy fats (like nuts, avocado, olive oil), whole soy foods (tofu, tempeh, soymilk, edamame) and seafood. Limit products high in saturated fats, sugar, and refined carbohydrates.
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Prioritize Vitamin D and Calcium. You can boost vitamin D by spending more time in sunlight and by eating salmon, sardines, egg yolks and some fortified yogurts. Calcium is found in foods such as dairy, green leafy vegetables, and fortified foods (non-dairy milk, juice, and cereal).
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