7 Natural Ways to Strengthen Your Joints and Prevent Future Pain

You feel young and strong right now, and you are.

But you won’t stay that way without proactive and preventative work, especially when it comes to your joints. Joint pain is usually considered an inevitable part of aging, but you can flip the script with evidence-based care and strengthening exercises.

Our team at Carolina Joint and Arthritis sees the effects of being proactive and doing nothing every day. Based on our experience, here are 7 natural ways to strengthen your joints and prevent future pain.

1. Stay active

Staying active over time will keep your joints lubricated, strengthen the muscles around your joints, and improve your flexibility. Here’s the key to protecting your joints, though: Aim for low-impact exercises such as walking, swimming, cycling, and yoga. These protect your joints and cartilage from excessive stress over time.

2. Build strong muscles

Strength training is vital because strong muscles act like shock absorbers for your joints. Focus on your legs, core, and upper body to protect vulnerable joints. Staying consistent over time pays the biggest dividends.

3. Maintain a healthy weight

If you’re overweight, you’re putting excessive stress on your joints, especially your knees and hips. Losing even a small amount of weight significantly reduces the load on your joints and can help slow the progression of arthritis in them.

4. Eat an anti-inflammatory diet

A Mediterranean-style diet full of leafy greens, colorful fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and omega-3 fatty acids can reduce some of the inflammation in your joints that’s contributing to your pain.

5. Stretch

Regular stretching and/or practicing yoga will keep your joints moving smoothly and prevent stiffness from setting in as quickly. You’ll also stay flexible as you age. 

6. Support collagen production

Collagen is a protein your body produces that’s essential for the health of the cartilage in your joints. Production of collagen tends to decrease as you age, so make sure you enhance production by eating foods high in Vitamin C and taking collagen supplements.

7.  Watch for early warning signs

Everyone is sore sometimes, especially after increased activity, but if you notice prolonged stiffness, pain, or swelling, don’t ignore it. Dealing with a small problem early can often keep it from becoming a chronic and painful problem later. 

If you’d like help getting started with these methods, our team at Carolina Joint and Arthritis can guide you. Call our Wilmington, North Carolina, office to schedule an appointment, or use our online scheduler to book a convenient time for you.