Ever heard of osteoarthritis? Dictionary.com defines it as "the most common form of arthritis, usually occurring after middle age, marked by chronic breakdown of cartilage in the joints leading to pain, stiffness, and swelling." It's a degenerative joint disease that can cause immobility and extreme pain. It's a health problem. It's a sickness that can be prevented.
Don't you get scared when you see people who look like this?
I do. I get really scared. And that's why I read articles about it. About health. About sickness. And how they can be prevented.
Lifescript.com published "12 ways to Protect your joints" and here's a summary of their suggestions:
1. "Lighten your load" - extra weight causes extra stress to our joints and we become more prone to fractures and injury. A lot of sickness can be avoided when healthy weight is maintained. Shedding off those extra pounds can do wonders for our health.
2. "Get Moving" - a sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of osteoarthritis. We need to be physically active to have stronger muscles and to lubricate our joints. Do some housework. Park a little further away. Go around the block. Take those stairs. Dance if you must. (Or you can). Anything that will get us moving-away from sickness and toward robust health.
3. "Strengthen your Core" - great abs is not only sexy. It has a lot of health benefits. Firm abs is equivalent to a firm core. It gives us stability and better control which mean less pressure on our joints. A firm core is one sure way of staying in good health.
4. Try Tai Chi - This is a form of Chinese Martial arts that requires slow circular and streching movements. The slow, repetitive movements make us more flexible and strong which, in turn, causes less stress on our joints. Search youtube for some simple tai chi moves if you're not up to spending for a CD. On the other hand, wouldn't you rather invest on your health rather than spend on medicine and hospital bills because of sickness.
5. Run Smart - our joints will certainly get more pounding if we prefer running to walking. But it can be done without getting yourself injured. Check out this link for some safe running tips.
6. Load up on fish - Lifescript suggests "at least two servings a week – 3.5 ounces cooked or 3/4 cup canned." 3.5 ounces is almost 100 grams. That's not much considering the health benefits. The Omega-3 fatty acids in fish helps in cartilage formation and reduces the risk of joint inflammation. I'm lucky I love fish.
7. Do not slouch - this is my biggest problem. I'm a sloucher. A big one. The chiropractor who treated me confirmed this. As I have slouched all my life, my neck bones and spinal chord are now misaligned. This causes my perennial headeaches, back pain, hip and knee pains. So, if you want to stay away from sickness and be healthy, be conscious of your posture. Slouching "strains our ligaments" while erect posture allows for "even distibution of our weight". Needless to say, when you stand and sit erect, there will be less pressure on the joints.
8. Minimize the use of stilletos - occasional high heels won't do much harm. But frequent use of shoes with very high heels puts a lot of pressure on knees and hips. In my younger days, I was a stilleto person. My health was put to risk and I have long ago switched to the comfortable flats. You don't need to hurt yourself to be stylish.
9. Go easy on the handbags - those heavy loads are hazardous to your health-to your "joints and wrists. I know that for a fact. Raid your handbags and carry only the essentials. If you must bring a heavy load, go for the backpack.
10. "Don't be a weekend warrior" - What's a weekend warrior? Someone who does no exercise on weekdays and tries to compensate on weekends. According to Lifescript, this is damaging to our health and suggests 30-minute exercises on non-weekends.
11. Avoid Processed Foods - Lifescript calls the fats in processed foods destructive. Do I need to say more? For obvious health reasons, the best way is to go natural.
12. Stop when you Have Joint Pain - Pain and swelling is a sign of too much stress. If you want to have healthy joints, give it some rest.
These are all very sensible reminders. If you're reading this, you'reprobably at that age where you're starting to feel the pressure on your joints. I hope we can influence the younger generation to take heed. Health is not like school exams and reports where we can cram and still, by sheer luck, pass. Avoiding sickness requires folowing the law of the harvest. You cannot harvest what you have not planted.
via Lifescript -
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