Embracing healthier lifestyles is a must and it is also growing in demand. People do this for a variety of reasons – for one, we have a much better understanding of the ailments that would ordinarily plague us and as such we have a better idea of how to combat them. Others just want to stay in shape and enjoy the many practical benefits of that for far longer. Still others are making the necessary adjustments to deal with certain health-related developments that they find themselves confronted with due to various factors, such as aching joints. Whatever the cause, making the change to a healthier lifestyle is nevertheless the ideal response to many of life’s developments.

For example, one of the reasons prompting some lifestyle changes is to deal with the onset of joint pain. Joint pains can come about due to a variety of factors. One of those factors is overuse – when too much is asked of a joint over time, whether it is due to repetitive movement or excessive weight being carried. Many other risk factors contribute to the possibility of joint pain-involving ailments. For example, obesity is a known risk factor because of the extra weight that the body’s joints – particularly in the lower half of the body – are expected to carry. The type and intensity level of one’s physical activity can also contribute, as can one’s diet. As such, modifications made to these aspects of one’s lifestyle can have far-reaching effects in terms of reducing joint pain. Here’s how to stop joints from hurting with five lifestyle changes.

Aching Joints: Changes to Reduce Joint Pain

1. Get more active and lose some weight

As obesity is one of the more common risk factors in terms of contributing to joint pain, it makes sense to tackle it directly and thus reduce the presence of joint pain (and likelihood of more). Joint pains tend to come about as a result of having to support so much weight in the upper half of the body – and obesity affects the structure of legs and leg joints as well. As such, making an effort to lose some weight will certainly have continued benefits for your body.Other than the reduced cardiovascular load, your joints will have to bear less weight as well, which will result in aching joint relief.

Furthermore, a sedentary lifestyle is not going to be of help. For one thing, a less active lifestyle contributes to obesity, so that’s one thing making another thing worse. Becoming more active has two immediate benefits: if done well enough it can contribute to a bit of weight loss, and generally it can lead to the joints becoming more used to movement and gaining a bit of flexibility. Simply walking a bit a day is a good place to start.

2. Keep hydrated, and scale back on coffee

It’s so basic that it’s easy to forget about it, but remembering to keep your body hydrated contributes a lot to increased bone strength. This has clear implications on staving off joint pain. Make sure to get enough water each day, which is easy enough to accomplish. It can be as simple as making it an integral part of your routine.

On the other hand, one has to remember to cut down on the coffee. You can have your morning cup if you need to get your jolt fix, but you would probably do well to skip the refill, as caffeine tends to contribute to weaker bones over time. Not to mention that coffee is a diuretic, which would result in you expelling water that could otherwise help hydrate you. Aching joints or a short pick-me-up from, caffeine? The choice is simple.

3. Smart exercising

Don’t make your back do all the work when lifting – your knees are designed to provide you with the leverage for that. Bend your knees, tighten your core and then raise up not by moving your back but by straightening your bent legs.

4. Choose the right shoes

It seems like such a simple thing to worry about, but poor support and unnatural fits in shoes can lead to quite a bit of joint pain in the lower body through a sort of domino effect. Well-designed footwear will cost you a bit more and take some more time to choose and test, but just remind yourself they’re good investments because they’ll help keep your feet comfortable – and your feet are among the most active parts of your body over the course of a day – not to mention your joints.

5. Change up the diet to avoid aching joints

• Fish are great for fighting inflammation. Various types of fish are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. These are good for combating inflammation brought on by various joint pain-causing ailments like arthritis. Mackerel, salmon, tuna, herring and other types of fish work well in a variety of dishes and bring a lot of the inflammation-fighting omega-3 fatty acids.
• Dairy goods, unsurprisingly, are good for your bones. Strengthening bones can help lower the likelihood of joint pain, and as such keeping your calcium levels high is advisable. Low-fat dairy can help stave off osteoporosis and arthritis. Various dairy products like cheese and yogurt can also be high in vitamin D, which aids in the absorption of calcium and helps boost the immune system.
• Something as simple as changing the type of cooking oil can have far-reaching effects. Extra-virgin olive oil has a lot of benefits that help make it a popular choice in kitchens, and among them is its heart-healthy fats. It’s so effective at helping reduce inflammation, it’s been compared to various nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. For that matter, you might want to consider other oils that have beneficial effects – avocado and safflower oil have great cholesterol-lowering effects, while walnut oil has ten times the amount of omega-3 fatty acids as extra-virgin olive oil has.
• While you might want to cut down on coffee, consider switching to green tea. It’s rich in polyphenols, which help reduce the breakdown of cartilage – which is important when it comes to smooth joint movement. Polyphenols also help reduce inflammation, so they can provide relief from aching joints if it’s already present. Among the many other benefits of drinking green tea is the presence of antioxidant epigallocatechin-3, which slows rheumatoid arthritis-originating joint damage.

Get more information on our copper-infused compression sleeves and buy our pain relief products.