Who wants to live to old age if don’t enjoy it? You will want to be mobile with good joints, muscles and bones and to keep other important body functions as is to enjoy life to the fullest, right?
If so, you will need to particularly pay attention to your joints. Your joints can be harmed even when you are young if you don’t look after them.
To not let your joints decline, you need to know your legs carry your entire body weight for every step that you take, hence, over the years the joints in your hips, knees and ankles will undergo a lot of wear and tear that caused the cartilage (note: a firm, elastic, flexible type of connective tissue at the end of your bones) worn away and make moving your joints become painful. This painful condition is due to the roughness of the joints surface rub against each other when you move; in an ideal situation, the two bones should rub against each other smoothly if the cartilage is not damaged. This wear and tear throughout one life can make a person prone to arthritis, a painful condition that can affect any joint and cause misery in old age.
Based on medical research studies, learning the following will help keep your joints in good shape and to prevent your joints decline faster than otherwise it might happen:
Watch your weight – if you are overweight, you are more likely to get arthritis than those who are not.
Hard and repetitive activity – be careful about this, this can cause injury to any joint which can later result in arthritis.
Exercise – regular exercise is proven good to prevent loss in range and flexibility of your joints and is especially beneficial to those who are middle age or into old age. Regular exercise is important as it helps you to build strong muscle to protect you from falls and help keep your joints safe.
Muscles – as we age, we tend to lose muscle bulk and power, thus, doing enough normal physical activity and exercise is important to keep your muscles in good shape. Likewise, getting enough vitamin D is important to maintain muscle power. I would also like to share with you that the best way to get vitamin D is to expose your skin to a short period of sunlight each day.
I remember what someone said: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
Best,
Tan Kok Hui
Nutrition Made Simple, Life Made Rich
