Our joints are immensely important as they connect different parts of our bones. These are protected by strong cartilage which enables us to carry out our day-to-day activities. An unhealthy sedentary lifestyle can cause irreversible joint damage. It's high time, we should start caring for our joints as we do other things. Here are simple lifestyle changes that can help you improve your bone and joint health.

Obese or overweight put pressure on your joints and may also result in inflammation. More the pressure, the more the wear and tear of joints. Obesity itself is a major risk factor for osteoarthritis (bones and joint-related disorder that affects hip, knee, or ankle). Losing excess weight can help in avoiding pressures on joints, thereby ensuring the proper functioning of all your joints.

 Maintaining healthy body weight is essential for your muscle’s health. Obesity or being overweight will exert extra pressure on your muscles. To hold this pressure, you must have strong muscles. Stronger muscles mean less wear and tear of bones, ligaments, and tendons and are also less prone to injury. You can take muscle strengthening exercises to improve your muscle strength.

A balanced diet is vital for your bones and joints. You can include veggies like spinach, fenugreek owing to their high nutritional content like iron, calcium, magnesium, and vitamin C, K, and A, which are great for joints. Also eat vitamin C-rich fruits like strawberry, lemon, orange. Daily consumption of anti-inflammatory herbs like turmeric and garlic can reduce pain and inflammation. 

With WFH and online studies, we spend most of our time sitting in a chair or sofa. This puts pressure on our spine and increases the risk of back pain as well. Hence, while sitting or walking, maintain a correct upright posture. After every two hours of sitting, take a break and stretch your body for 10-15 minutes. This improves joint mobility.

One can take calcium and vitamin D supplements to meet the recommended daily allowance. This will help maintain bone and joint health.

Don’t take your joints for granted. However, with age and an unhealthy lifestyle, joint problems are very common. But by following these simple tips you can keep your joints healthy and problems at bay.

Disclaimer: The content on this site is for informational purposes only, and should not be taken as professional medical advice.  Always seek the guidance of your doctor or other health professionals for any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.