It is important to maintain both bones and joints in order to remain mobile and can keep you healthy if you were to fall. Luckily, there are many ways that we can improve and maintain good bone and joint health. Examples would include participating in physical activity and stopping bad habits such as smoking and drinking.
If you are looking enact changes to improve your bone and joint health you can,
- Eat Healthier
- Take Vitamin Supplements
- Participate in Physical Activity
- Stop Bad Habits
- Maintain a Healthy Weight
1. Eat Healthier
When there is junk food with little nutritional value so prominent when shopping, it is easy to get swept away by its temptation. But eating healthy and protecting your bone health does not need to be difficult. It is time to get inventive in the kitchen and start creating some dishes that incorporate all the vitamins and minerals that promote strong bones.
For healthy bones and joints, it is important to consume a variety of products containing calcium. Calcium is found in products such as dairy, tofu, bread, and fish. Try to incorporate these into your diet and you should see an improvement in your bone health over time.
Foods high in magnesium and potassium are also great for your bones and joints, and can often be found in foods like sweet potato.
2. Take Vitamin Supplements
Another way to boost the strength of your bones is through the consumption of calcium and vitamin D. Sometimes it can be hard to get all the vitamins and minerals you need through your food consumption, so why not invest in tablet alternatives? Easy supplements can be added to your daily routine and will boost your bone strength with little effort on your behalf.
Vitamin D is incredibly important to supplement with tablets, and it is suggested that everyone should consume these in the winter months, as vitamin D can be obtained from the sun. You can also find Vitamin D in many foods such as oily fish and fat spreads.
Eating higher amounts of protein will also improve the health of your bones, as it will increase muscle growth and calcium consumption. If you are vegetarian or vegan, protein intake can be supplemented with the use of B12 tablets.
3. Participate in Physical Activity
The importance of physical activity for the sake of your joints and bone health is vital. Good exercises for bone and joint strength would be walking, dancing, yoga or gardening. These activities are great as they do not put much strain on your bones and joints but instead encourage healthy movement. Moderate exercise will help to maintain bone strength and joint health.
Whether you want to hit the gym and lift some weights, or if you want to do some heavy gardening and shovelling, try to perform these to a moderate level three times a week.
4. Stop Bad Habits
Over-consumption of alcohol and smoking cigarettes comes with many health risks, many of which are already commonly known. However, these habits can also cause great damage to your bone health and to your joints.
Research has shown that smoking has a negative effect on the risk of fractures, this weakening of your bones caused by smoking can therefore be life-changing, especially as you age and mobility decreases. Therefore, by stopping or cutting down on these bad habits, you should be able to start the reversal process for your bone health.
5. Maintain a Healthy Weight
Our joints carry our weight and if they are often under stress from a weight increase, the joints’ strength can weaken and become inflamed, which can eventually cause immobility or pain. The same goes for being underweight, as your bones may have low bone mineral density, which may eventually lead to osteoporosis.
Maintaining a healthy weight is the best way to not wear the joints down and to keep the joints healthy. The best way to maintain a healthy weight would be to exercise regularly, and cut down on highly processed and fatty foods.
To conclude, exercise, a good diet, and consistent vitamin intake are good for bone and joint health. At Fox Chiropractic, we offer treatments and diagnosis for many ailments that may arise from bad bone health and injuries. We can also provide you with further information on how to take care of your bones and joints with long-term solutions.
We are Fox Chiropractic: specialists in the diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal injury or pain. For more information about the services that we provide, check out our website or get in touch to speak to a friendly member of the team on 07540 942 448 or email at info@foxchiropractic.co.uk.
Written by Luthien for Fox Chiropractic.