Are your joints keeping you from activities you love – gardening, walking and getting out and about with friends? As we age, poor knees and hips age too. It pays to do what you can for joint health.
1. Joint nutrition
Eating a healthy diet is essential to help nourish your joints. Your diet should include a range of wholefoods that provide nutrients for joints:
- Oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and herring provide omega-3 fatty acids. Vegetarian options include walnuts and flaxseeds
- Oily fish are also natural sources of vitamin D, a common deficiency in New Zealand. Blackcurrants, strawberries, paw paw, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and citrus fruits provide vitamin C, required for the development of healthy cartilage
- Almonds, hazelnuts, apples, pears, prunes and raisins contain the mineral boron which plays a role in joint health
- Beans, corn, sunflower seeds, legumes and whole grains contain manganese, which is needed for the formation of healthy cartilage
Glucosamine and chondroitin are naturally occurring substances that help support joint health and help maintain joint comfort.
2. Exercise for joint health
Regular exercise for 30 minutes daily is great for joint health It helps to improve joint mobility and flexibility as well as build muscle strength. If you haven’t exercised for a while, you should speak to your health professional, and discuss the best way to get started. Depending on your current fitness levels, you may need to start slowly, and increase the length and intensity of your exercise sessions slowly. Even if you are concerned about joint health, you will benefit from incorporating varied activities that are gentle, and not too strenuous. Try:
- Stretching exercises, such as yoga, for joint range of motion
- Weight-bearing exercises to improve muscle strength and joint stability
- Aerobic exercise such as swimming and walking for cardiovascular benefits
- Tai Chi to improve joint mobility and increase muscle strength
3. Watch your waistline
Carrying excess weight can add extra strain to the joints, particularly if they are weight-bearing joints such as the knees. Get moving and eat a balanced diet with plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit, proteins and wholegrains. Go easy on sugary foods and drinks containing sugar and caffeine as these can affect blood sugar levels and make it harder to maintain a healthy weight.
4. Supplements
Find a supplement containing glucosamine, chondroitin, manganese and boron to help support joint health and comfort for flexibility and ease of movement.