Ways You Are Damaging Your Joints.

After the birth of my son I decided to join my husband jogging. After the first day I had really really bad pain in both knees that stopped me walking and it was because I wasn’t wearing the right shoes so my joints really took a kicking. Five years on and I am still trying to rectify the damage that 10minute jog in the wrong shoes caused. I have had an MRI scan which should the damage to the knee joint has been rectified but my kneecap, which shifted a little, is still yet reposition itself back to its rightful position. So at the moment I am undergoing physiotherapy to help encourage my kneecap to realign. Before my ordeal I must admit I never even gave my joints a second thought. I, like most people, took them for granted and just assumed they would take whatever I threw at them, and that cost me. 

 Here are some ways you could be putting your joint at risk and how to boost your joint health.

1.       Being and unhealthy weight – Being overweight puts extra pressure on your joints, especially your knees. It also puts you at a higher risk of developing arthritis later on in life.

 

2.       Not warming up before your workout session – Regular workouts is great way to help you maintain a healthy weight and keep your joints healthy. But if you skip the warm, which consists of stretching, walking or jogging at a slow pace for at least 5 minutes before you work out you miss the chance to get blood flowing to joints thus increasing the risk of them locking up and corroding, which can lead to injury.

3.       Lifting heavy objects the wrong way – This can lead to back as well as joint pain. To lift a heavy load, bend at the hips and knees to a squat down position to the load, keep it close your body and straighten your legs to lift. The most important thing is to bend at the knees to pick up and never raise the load above your chest.

4.       Poor posture – Always sit and stand up straight with squared shoulder, chest out, stomach in and feet facing forward, the way your skeleton is aligned. Your weight will be evenly distributed and your body balanced. Poor posture such as slouching shifts your body balance and puts unnecessary weight on your joints, which over time can lead to joint damage and pain.

5.       Not wearing the right footwear – Firstly, heels heels heels. I love high heels as much as the next girl but we all know they are bad for us. If I am honest, I don't think I can give up my heels altogether but I try not to spend too long in them at a time, I always have a pair flats handy for a quick swap.

       Secondly, invest in a pair workout shoes. Nike and Skechers have a good range of shoes for workouts. Also if your job involves a lot of standing or walking around then you might want to consider getting a pair of skechers walking shoes or a pair of kickers, which are both stylish and joint friendly.

6.       Keep your joints healthy – Nonmodifiable risk factors such as genetics, gender and age can lead to joint damage and there is nothing you can do about them. But you can take steps to make sure your joint are as healthy as possible by including foods rich in calcium and vitamin d for bone strength. You can also take supplements containing calcium and vitamin d to make sure you are getting the recommended daily allowance. Regular exercise will also help maintain joint health and so will cutting out bad habits such as smoking, first or secondhand and excessive alcohol consumption.

It’s never too late or too early to start taking care of your joints.

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