We don’t like to be remembered of our age, but the truth is that nobody is getting younger. Tough, but then it’s not all bad. Typical old age complaints, such as joint pain, tend to result from long-term use and pressure. Someone who enjoyed high-impact activities during their youth might pay the price for it in later years. However, the good news about it is that joint pain is not a fatality. A lot of people tend to associate arthritis – stiff and sore joints – with old age. In reality, arthritis can affect people from all age groups. It is a chronic inflammation of the joints, which can occur if you are putting your joints through a lot of pressure. The bottom line, regardless of your age, you can’t afford to ignore joint health.  

Looking after your joint health, thankfully, is a lot easier than it might sound. Maintaining an active lifestyle can be a game-changer. Joints are more likely to go stiff and sore if you indulge in a sedentary lifestyle. It doesn’t mean you’ve got to turn an athlete overnight, but ensuring you move often and regularly will make a big difference. Our desk jobs are doing nothing for joint health! Ensuring your body receives all the nutrients it needs to preserve joint and bone structure is a no-brainer. Aside from a healthy diet, it can help to focus on specialist supplements such as calcium for the joint cartilage. It is worth noting that your joint cartilage consists of 70% to 80% water. Here’s a tip for you: Sodium excess in your meal will lead to temporary inflammation as it can cause swelling and water retention in the body. So it’s a good idea to stay away from processed meals and junk food! This will also help keep your weight under control, which reduces the pressure on your joints. Lastly, you may need to adjust your physical activity to your age. Ultimately, it doesn’t pay off to skip breaks. 

The best secret to maintaining joint health for longer is to stay physically active. However, if you are embarking on a fitness journey, you may want to be cautious about your workout choices. Not all physical activity is good for joint health. 

#1. Amplify your fitness motion

What exactly is the role of your joints within the body. To put it in layman’s terms, joints are everywhere where two bones meet. They make motion possible; otherwise, the skeleton would not be flexible by itself. You’ve got different types of joints that are defined by their range of movement. Some joints are like hinges that open and close, such as your knees; others let you move backward, forward, sideways, and in rotation, such as the shoulder or the hip joint. Some joints are also called immovable as they are not designed for motion, but this is a story for another day. When it comes to partially or freely movable joints, you want to ensure that you don’t over-exercise them in a single direction. If you do the same fitness workout day after day and stick to the same range of motion, you could cause joint inflammation. Ideally, you should choose sports that allow you to amplify the range of motion. Take a look at these pickleball videos, for instance. Pickleball combines elements of badminton, tennis, and table tennis. It’s a great combo sport for those who enjoy racket sports but are worried about the tennis elbow. As you change your fitness movement, you are less likely to apply pressure on the joints. 

#2. Diversify the routine

As mentioned above, you need to introduce diversity to reduce joint pressure. Choosing activities that use variations of a movement will ensure your joints don’t get stuck in one type of motion. The next step up is to vary your workouts too. Say you enjoy playing tennis. You can play tennis for every single workout. You need to add variety to protect your joints. A healthy routine will focus on different fitness factors, such as: 

• Aerobic training such as cardio exercises,

• Strength training focuses on bone and muscle strength and can be performed with or without weights,

• Core exercises preserve your abs, lower back, and pelvis strength,

• Balance workout includes yoga and tai chi to work smaller muscle groups, 

• Flexibility training helps stretch your joints and enhance the range of motion. 
  

#3. Don’t wait to hydrate

Your joints are essentially made of water. So, they are the first to exhibit signs of discomfort in case of water retention or swelling. But they will also feel sore when the body gets dehydrated. The key is to hit the right balance with hydration. It sounds simple enough, but most people find it hard to drink enough water during the day. It can be even more challenging to stay hydrated if you are exercising. As a rule of thumb, you want to drink before and after a workout. If you are going for something intensive in terms of effort, you should also plan for a water break halfway through the training! 

#4. Stay away from high intensity and high impact

Nowadays, HIIT workouts are popular because they maximize your schedule. You can get a burst of energy in the shortest amount of time. From a planning perspective, it’s a fantastic idea. When it comes to joint health, you probably want to rethink your HIIT routine. High-Intensity Interval Training pushes you past your comfort zone, which can put a lot of high pressure on your joints in a very short time. If you already have fragile joints, it is something you want to avoid. 

High-Impact workouts are another kind of activity that can lead to nasty injuries. High-impact can put a lot of stress on your joints as they sustain repetitive impact. Running and sports that involve running can lead to stress fractures or severe joint inflammation. Ideally, if you enjoy high-impact activities, you should make sure to stick with manageable goals and wear the right gear. 

#5. Introduce active rest

When you exercise, you create micro-tears inside your muscles. The recovery period enables your body to repair the tears, so your muscles can grow stronger. Joints also need to recover after a workout. However, there is more than one way to rest. You can introduce active recovery time, which means that the body doesn’t stay immobile as you rest. Active recovery focuses on low-intensity exercises which encourage a range of movements. It is an effective strategy to boost your blood flow and ensure that all nutrients can get to your muscles and joints. 

#6. Improve your flexibility and balance

Every joint workout should include elements of stretching and balance. Your joints support your flexibility. Therefore, it can be helpful to improve your flexibility with targeted exercise to prevent joint stiffness. Yoga is a favorite when it comes to healthy joints, and it’s easy to understand why. Yoga is highly accessible to all fitness levels. Yoga teachers know how to adjust a pose to your flexibility and strength so you can progress at your own pace. 

#7. Listen to your body

Last but not least, nobody knows your body better than yourself. If you feel that a workout is too uncomfortable, nothing prevents you from adjusting the motion or stopping altogether. Nobody can tell you when to push yourself or when to stay cautious. You are in charge. Learning to listen to your body is the best way to keep your joints safe and healthy. 

In conclusion, sports and joint health go hand in hand. Maintaining physical activity is good for your joint health. But it doesn’t mean that you can embrace any workout! Activities that amplify your range of motion, introduce diversity, active rest, flexibility, and low-impact exercises are recommended by experts. Remember to keep your joints safe as you exercise through hydration and a mindful approach.