Top 8 Ways To Protect Your Joints

We rely on our joints to do, well, just about everything. If you want to keep your body “well-oiled,” protecting your joints is essential. But how do you protect those parts of your body that you use every single time you move? Here are some tips to help you out.

1. Stretch preventatively

After a task that stresses certain joints, stretch them out carefully. This will help blood circulation and keep them from stiffening up. It also helps you ease pain, which is a side perk to helping keep your joints comfortable, too. Stretching beforehand is excellent, of course, but stretching afterward is going to be even more important!

2. Keep yourself moving

After an injury or a hard day of work, many people will do whatever they can to keep the sore joint still. While resting a tired and overworked join, it is vital to keep moving. The longer you let everything “sit,” the more damage it does. Blood circulation through soft and safe movements of the sore joint will help it feel better, faster!

3. Consider omega-3 supplements

Taking the proper omega-3s will help care preventatively and retroactively for your joints. For potency and bioavailability, green-lipped mussel oil will be a great choice because it will modulate inflammation in the entire body, which helps your joints feel better from the inside out.

4. Do low-impact exercise

When it comes to your daily workouts, try to emphasize low-impact exercise. It will help keep you exercising and promote that all too important blood circulation, but it won’t stress your joints out weaken them with the impact of classic exercises. For example: use an elliptical instead of going for a run. The more you emphasize this “safer” exercise, the happier your joints will be.

5. Recognize repetitive task risks

Many people are predisposed to having joint issues and don’t factor that into their daily life and care routine for those joints. Golfers, hair-dressers, and writers are predisposed to joint issues in their hands and wrists. Logistic workers are prone to knee and ankle issues. And so on. Understand where your job or lifestyle weakens specific joints and prioritize the care of those as much as possible

6. Use heat and cool as needed and directed

Most specialists will recommend a combination of hot and cold compresses to help tired joints recover. Many will favor one or the other but won’t do it at the proper intervals. For the best results, you’ll want to look at following the recommended schedule as closely as you can. It’s prescribed for a reason, after all!

7. Know bad pain from good pain

Bad pain is when your joints have sharp, hot pain. It means that something isn’t working as it should and needs attention. In cases like this, “pushing through” won’t help at all. Good pain is more like an ache. It’s there, and you can feel that your joints aren’t quite at their best, but it’s also a sign of healing!

8. Listen to your body’s signals

Sometimes, the best thing to do is stop when your body tells you. While there is a moment “push through,” as mentioned, you also need to take it easy and rest when you know you should. Your body takes time to heal and recover.

Proper joint care is about understanding the stressors and how to both spot them and cushion them. Whether you embrace all 8 of these or cherry-pick your favorites, any changes you make to help better care for your joints will be good changes. The best thing is, you’ll be able to feel the difference for yourself!