Hey everyone.  Today I have a guest post for you from Scott Wood.  Scott works with Natures Best – a supplement company with a difference.  Not only are they UK based but they stick to GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) standards which means you can be sure you are purchasing a quality product.

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As you grow older you may start to feel the effects of day to day exercise on your joints. Whether it is your runner’s knees or creaky tennis elbow, all can cause discomfort, especially if untreated. Without proper care these problems could snowball into conditions such as osteoarthritis and severe joint pain.

Luckily though, there are numerous preventative courses you can take to lessen the damage caused to your joints by your daily activity. In this article, I hope to give some simple tips that you can put into practice to lessen the load on your joints and keep those creaks at bay.

Maintain gentle exercise to maintain supple joints

By keeping your joints active (but not overdoing it…) you keep the fibres and tendons around the joints supple, which will help to improve the overall flexibility of the joint. If your muscles can cope with more stresses and forces, then this will naturally take this impact away from your joint, this helping to preserve its precious cartilage. Cartilage is the compound found within joints, which acts a lubricant to prevent the bones from rubbing together and causing pain.

You could strengthen your joints by perhaps trying to walk more. A walk that lasts 30-60 minutes is a good level of exercise for each day. Alternative if you have trouble with your mobility, why not take up yoga classes or swimming, which are both a great way to develop your core strength without too much strain on your body. Swimming for example helps to develop your strength gradually, as your muscles are put under slight resistance by the water every time you move.

Keep on top of your diet

We have numerous nutrition based articles on the site that may be of value, but i cannot stress enough how much a well rounded diet can help your joints, but also your overall wellbeing. Take care to eat plenty of grains, vegetables, fruit and fresh fish. The essential oils in oily fish like mackerel for instance are high in Omega 3s, which are great for your joints.

Failing that, you could also top up your daily fish oil intake in supplement form or go for a glucosamine equivalent. Glucosamine is actually the compound found within your cartilage, which helps to keep your joints well lubricated.

It can be difficult to reverse the effect of long term joint problems, but with enough care and attention, small changes to your lifestyle can impact greatly on the health of your joints and overall wellbeing. Be sure to keep active, eat well and get plenty of rest and your body will thank you later in life!

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