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How to Keep Joints Healthy and Prevent Injury

If you play sports and workout regularly, then learning how to keep joints healthy is very important. This is especially true for people who are more active and enjoy pushing their body to the limits. If you’ve started experiencing joint pain and stiffness, then there’s no time like the present to learn how to take proper care of your joints in order to avoid an injury in the future. 

How to Fight Joint Pain 

Joint stiffness is often the result of poor joint care. Arthritis, sprains, and strains are all things that can keep you out of the game. All of these conditions are very common in weight-bearing joints such as the wrists, elbows, shoulders, ankles, and knees. Fortunately, with proper care, you’ll be able to avoid these joint-related injuries using a variety of supplements, lifestyle principles, and training methods that won’t keep you away from the gym. 

Click here to learn more about the recommended supplements for joint health. 

Learn How to Balance Your Workouts 

Aside from taking joint health supplements, such as Curcumin 2000 or Turmeric Plus there are other ways you can improve your joint health, such as learning how to balance your cardio workouts in order to avoid overdoing it. High impact cardio such as agility drills or plyometrics are great ways to activate fast-twitch muscle fibers, but too much can add a lot of stress on the joints causing serious damage. Instead of going hard every day at the gym, you need to learn more about the importance of balance. Not only will it save your joints, but it can even provide better results such as increased muscle mass. Balancing low-impact workouts and high impact workouts will protect joints and strengthen the muscles. As your muscles grow they stabilize and protect the joints. 

Rowing machines, stationary bikes, sacroiliac joint dysfunction exercises, elliptical machines or even going for a walk are all great examples of low-impact cardio. These workout options will provide muscle strengthening and fat burning benefits, but they’ll also help to minimize the stress that’s placed on your joints. If you find it hard to stay away from the gym or take a recovery day, try one of these options and enjoy a low-impact recovery day. 

Improve Flexibility

Improve Flexibility

Whether it’s static or dynamic, stretching helps to maintain range of motion around the joints. When the joints are stiff they’re more prone to swelling, which can weaken the muscles surrounding the joints. Before you work out, try warming up all the major muscle groups. It’s also important to stretch right after a workout for the same reasons. 

If you have hip joint pain while running, failing to warm up before you head out for a run is the likely culprit. So, if you’re guilty of skipping out on warming up, now is your chance to right your wrong. 

Proper Nutrition 

Minimizing excess body fat and inflammatory responses are both great ways to ensure healthy joints. A diet that’s more alkaline has been proven to boost energy while lowering inflammation. Foods such as apples, ginger, avocados, kale, berries, and spinach, are essential for a well-balanced diet and one that promotes joint health. 

Diets that are low in processed foods and saturated fats are also beneficial. Instead of hitting your local fast food joint, opt for a dinner that consists of fresh fruits, veggies, fish, nuts, and whole grains. 

Supplements are Crucial to Joint Health 

As we mentioned earlier, taking supplements that promote joint health are crucial. Supplements such as fish oil, hyaluronic acid, turmeric, and glucosamine have been shown to be beneficial to joint health, especially in people who suffer from arthritis. 

The Right Gear

The right shoes will provide stability, proper cushioning, and comfort. The arches of your feet may be very high or nonexistent. You should pick the right shoes based on this information. It’s also necessary to learn about your foot strike pattern and whether it’s neutral, underpronation, or overpronation. 

Poor Posture

Are you guilty of slouching? Is maintaining the proper posture difficult for you? If you said yes, you’re not alone. Poor posture when sitting can lead to compromised, tight muscles. It’s also one of the leading causes of back pain. This is because the vertebral discs in the back lack the appropriate blood supply when your body is static. Move around every thirty to forty-five minutes. Doing so can easily combat these effects and help minimize pain. 

Pay Attention to What Your Body is Trying to Tell You

Know when it’s time to take a day off from the gym. Taking it easy and not overdoing it can mean the difference between a dislocated joint and major performance improvement. Properly fueling your body with the right supplements and food, getting enough sleep, and taking it slow is how to keep your joints healthy, and it’s also how you can get optimal workout results.