Maintaining good joint mobility is essential for getting the most out of life as you approach your 60’s and beyond. Annoyingly as we get older aches and pains in our joint become part of life. Around 50% of people of people over the age of 65 are thought to have a touch of arthritis, the symptoms and severity can differ for everyone.
Osteoarthritis is the most common form, usually related to wear and tear as we age. As the cartilage, that covers the ends of our bone, wears down the ends of the bone rub together causing pain and stiffness.
Here are some of out top tips to help you maintain joint mobility in your 60’s and over.
- Try to maintain a healthy weight – whatever type of arthritis you have; you should aim to lose any excess weight. Extra weight that you carry around can have a significant effect on joint mobility, especially your knees, and cause additional pain.
- Change your diet – Just like the health of your heart and brain, your diet can have a very positive impact on your joint mobility. Try to include lots of fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds and oily fish.
- Do regular exercise – Regular exercise can help to strengthen muscles and increase joint mobility. If joint pain is getting in the way of your mobility, then swimming or cycling (low impact sports) may be the best option for you.
- Use local pain relieve creams/gels – If you are suffering from severe pain, that affects your mobility, pain relieve creams/gels may be a perfect way of getting you back up and moving.
- Take supplements that help with joint mobility – Natural supplement will not work for everyone; however, you should trial them for around 2 months to see if they have had a positive effect. Research suggests that omega-3 fish oils, turmeric and glucosamine with chondroitin sulphate can be very useful in some patients.
This article is intended to inform and give insight but not treat, diagnose or replace the advice of a doctor. Always seek medical advice with any questions regarding a medical condition.
