5 Habits to Improve the Health of Your Joints
What does this do to your health? You slowly start to lose your body’s ability to move because sitting creates neuro structural shifts in your spine and even impacts your mortality. Yes, I said increases your chances of dying!! Physical inactivity is estimated to account for 6% of global deaths. The World Health Organization recommends that adults participate in moderate-intensity physical activity throughout the week to reduce the risk of chronic disease, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and certain cancers.
We as humans are built to move; to use all the joints and muscles to keep your body working efficiently. When you don’t move muscles, tightened joints become fragile, cartilage breaks down and you develop chronic pain.
Most people spend time at the gym working out their muscles and even their hearts, but nobody is on the page of men’s or women’s health because they have strong and flexible joints.
Yet having flexible and strong joints will make you limber, stronger, faster and less injury prone. Think about it - if you have flexible hips and pelvis joints bending down to grab something from the floor wouldn’t be so difficult!
Here are 5 things you can do you to help your joints:
- Sit less
As mentioned previously, people who sit more live less. Sitting reduces nerve signals from your body to your brain and back, reduces blood flow, tightens muscles, and doesn’t allow nutrients to get into joints and flush toxins out. Sitting increases lower back and hip pain.
“But Dr Herr, I drive for a living or work on a computer all day”. Set a timer, then get up and move every 25 minutes. If you work on a computer, get a standing desk or work standing for a bit.
- Do joint mobility and foam rolling
Do some joint mobility in the morning. You have been sleeping and not moving all night, joint mobility is a great way to get your joints primed and ready for the day. If you have ever had a dog or cat - what’s the first thing they do after waking up? They move!
Some foam rolling. All the sitting and lack of movement will create tightness and tension in your muscles. Not using muscles causes them to fall asleep because they aren’t being stimulated.
If you need help, ask us for our joint mobility or foam rolling exercises.
- Walk more
When you are walking many joints in your body are moving. The walking causes the joints in your body to compress and decompress sending the cartilage nutrients and moving toxins out.
- Use Collagen and Vitamin C. Collagen provides proteins that you use to make YOUR BODY BUILDING BLOCKS TO BUILD STRONGER JOINTS. Vitamin C helps in making collagen as well.
- Maintain good structure and a spine free of Neuro- Structural shifts
I feel it goes without saying that maintaining a healthy spine will help the rest of the joints in our body function optimally. Just think, if your hips are off on the right side of your body how much more stress is on your right knee and ankle. More pressure means more wear and tear.
A teacher I had used to say in class “Movement is Life”. So, spend a few minutes working on your joint health and your body will thank you.
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