The average human body has in excess of 200 joints. The joints that we are most familiar with are those that allow movement at the point where two bones meet. Not all joints are like this, for example, the skull has many fixed joints. But the reason we are most familiar with these moving joints is perhaps because they can start to cause us the most problems as we age.

The most well known joint condition is arthritis, which causes joint pain and stiffness. We also link the ageing process with weak and stiff joints. While we commonly associate this type of joint discomfort as a problem experienced exclusively by older people, this isn’t always the case. Poor posture and long periods of sitting, and untreated injuries can also affect your joints earlier on in life too.

Can exercise help keep my joints healthy?

There is a proven positive relationship between gentle exercise and joint health. Exercise can help to keep joints supple and to alleviate the symptoms of joint pain. The action of gentle exercise will strengthen the supporting muscles and ligaments around your joints and help with maintaining their flexibility. It’s important to choose the right type of exercise to help your joints. Weight bearing exercise is preferable, but you should also be wary of running if you have knee or ankle joint problems.

It is always advisable to get a customised exercise programme from a physiotherapist or personal trainer, to ensure you strengthen your body correctly and don’t create any further injury due to incorrect technique, for example.

Yoga Woman Stretch 01

Can my diet make a difference to joint pain?

There is a great deal of information available about different diets that could help alleviate joint pain and help keep your joints healthy. It is true that certain foods will provide vital nutrients for joint and bone health, but the Anti-Inflammatory Diet that has been publicised has no scientific backing as a whole dietary plan.

Foods that can help with strengthening and healing joints are:

  • Leafy green vegetables such as broccoli, kale, spinach, cabbage and cauliflower, which are high in antioxidants
  • Citrus fruits which are high in Vitamin C
  • Whole grains which lower the C-reactive protein levels in the blood, which cause inflammation

While a balanced and varied diet is a great way to get most of the nutrients your joints need for continued health, it is also wise to consider taking an additional bone and joint supplement, like Joint Vie, from Vegetology.