Joint health is crucial to your everyday mobility and comfort. Yet, over 1 in 4 adult Americans experience chronic joint symptoms in the form of arthritis. To put it into perspective, this is over 54 million individuals who struggle with a diagnosis related to declining joint health and high joint pain.
But the truth is that whether you are suffering from arthritis or not, you can’t afford to neglect your joint health. Healthy joints are absolutely central to your day-to-day life quality, so you want to do everything you can to protect them. This is even more important as a complementary support for individuals with a history of arthritis in the family.
So what can you do to keep your joints as healthy as possible?
A Joint-Focused Diet
What kind of diet can support your joint health? Proper hydration is central, as dehydrated joints are more likely to feel stiff.
The key issue, when it comes to stiffness, is a combination of loss of elasticity in the joint area and inflammation. Inflammation is something that you can actively target with Omega-3s, which can help soothe inflammatory responses. So, you want a diet rich in oily fish, and if you prioritize plant-based alternatives, chia seeds, walnuts, and flaxseeds are great options.
When it comes to elasticity, you want to increase your collagen consumption with supplements, such as collagen peptides and protein powders. These can be easily mixed into your day-to-day recipes, and many come either as animal or plant-based supplements.
Joint Alignment
Misaligned joints can have restricted movement or lead to compensation patterns that tend to increase pain and inflammation. While this may not be the main cause of joint pain, misalignments in the hips, shoulders, neck, and spine areas can reduce both your range of motion and comfort.
This is an issue that is best managed with the help of a chiropractor who can reduce stress on the joints and improve general biomechanics.
Bear in mind that chiropractic treatment doesn’t treat inflammatory conditions.
Stretching Routines
Stretching can significantly help address joint pain as it can be used to ensure flexibility in the connective tissues and muscles around the joints. It is essential for individuals with tight muscles, as this can increase the pull on the joints and cause stiffness. So, regular and gentle stretching will reduce tension.
Important note: You do not want to engage in aggressive stretching routines, which can aggravate the problem, rather than solve it.
Strength Training
This may not be an obvious approach, but strength building can be one of the most effective strategies to maintain and protect joint health. Your muscles are designed to absorb shocks, so stronger muscles will lessen the joint burden in typical pain areas like knees, hips, shoulders, and ankles. In essence, you can use strength training to reduce the overall load that you put on your joints.
Here too, you want to be careful to stick to the correct form when working with weights and to train with an appropriate load. Overloading will only lead to injuries.
Your joints are an important aspect of your mobility and comfort. So, you can’t afford to ignore joint health requirements, whether you are at risk of arthritis or not. Stiff and inflamed joints are a reality for millions of Americans, so let it be your wake-up call to start joint health programs in 2026.
Want to unlock greater wellness?
Listen to our friends over at the Wellness + Wisdom Podcast to unlock your best self with Dr. John Lieurance; Founder of MitoZen; creators of the ZEN Spray and Lumetol Blue™ Bars with Methylene Blue.
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