Joint Aches and Pains: How to Avoid Them As You Age

If you’re like most people, you don’t think much about your joints until they start causing you pain. However, your joints deserve attention long before they start causing you discomfort.

As we age, we tend to lose elasticity and strength in our tendons and ligaments, causing joint mobility to become more restricted. Simultaneously, the cartilage that acts as a cushion between the bones of the joints also begins to break down, leading to inflammation and osteoarthritis, the most common joint disorder. 

Taking care of your joints early on can help reduce or alleviate joint pain and stiffness as you age, allowing you to continue participating in all the activities you love. Here are our top tips for safeguarding your joints:

How to protect your joints as you age:

1.    Keep moving

While it may sound counterintuitive to put more stress and strain on your joints through movement, regular exercise is one of the best ways to preserve joint health Exercise strengthens the muscles around the joints, helping to take pressure off them. It can also improve the flow of nutrients to the cartilage.

If you’re already experiencing joint pain, opt for low-impact activities like biking, swimming, and walking, otherwise engage in any activity that you enjoy, whether that’s dancing, lifting weights, or hiking. As the saying goes, ‘motion is lotion’ — the more you move, the more likely you’ll keep moving without discomfort and stiffness as you age.

2.    Manage your weight

Excess body weight puts strain on the joints, especially the knees. For example, one study showed that every kilogram of excess body weight exerts twice as much weight on the knees. So to put that in perspective, if you’re 9 kilograms overweight, that could be up to 27 kilograms of extra weight on your joints.

On the flip side, being underweight can lead to a lack of muscle bulk, which helps keep your joints strong and stable. Aim to achieve a healthy weight according to your height and body type through exercise and a nutritious diet.

3.    Clean up your diet

Speaking of a nutritious diet, this can help tame inflammation and ward off joint aches and pains. Research shows that a Mediterranean diet rich in fruit, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and healthy fats reduces pain and disability in those with osteoarthritis.

4.    Quit smoking

Smoking is a risk factor for everything, from cardiovascular problems to cancer to joint pain. In addition, smoking increases inflammation throughout the body, making it difficult to recover if you injure your joints. To quit smoking, seek support and a treatment plan from your doctor to increase your chance of success.

5.    Drink more water

Your body’s cartilage—the flexible connective tissue that cushions your joints—comprises approximately 80% water. When dehydrated, your body starts pulling water from other sources, including cartilage, lessening joint lubrication, leading to joint pain and increasing your risk of injury. To hydrate the body and keep the joints lubricated, men should aim to drink about 15.5 cups of water per day, and women should aim to drink about 11.5 cups of water per day.

6.    Stretch before and after exercise

Stretching before and after exercise is essential as failing to do so can put your joints at greater risk of strain. Spend five minutes stretching before exercise to warm up your joints and prepare them for the movement ahead, and another five minutes cooling down after exercise to reduce your risk of post-workout injuries.

Prevention is vital when it comes to avoiding joint aches and pains as you age.

Even if you’re in your twenties, thirties, or forties and are not experiencing joint pain, start taking care of your joint health now. By applying the tips in this blog, you’ll not only be lessening your chances of developing joint-related problems (or reducing joint pain if you already have it) but also improving your overall health.

If you’re currently experiencing joint pain or would like to learn more about preventing joint pain as you age, book an appointment with one of our doctors today by calling 02 9399 9399. We’d be happy to evaluate your condition and suggest a plan to reduce your discomfort and optimize your joint health.

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