Good Lifestyle

As you get older, maintaining your joint health is fundamental to your mobility and well-being. After all, having painful, steep or swollen joints can prevent you from participating in physical activity that ultimately helps turn off the disease and disability . But fitness experts say that a handful of special exercises will improve your joint health and can help prevent joint problems, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, bursitis, etc. Many of these exercises are also with low impact, helping you to avoid joint and muscle lesions in the process.

If you do not know where to start, you are not alone - many people do not think of their joint health until they are faced with a particular problem. That said, it is never too early to start. Read the rest to learn eight simple exercises that will keep your joints healthy, allowing you to stay active well in your senior years.

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Swimming is an ideal form of exercise to improve joint mobility without excessive impact. In fact, a 2016 study in The Journal of Rheumatology found this regular swimming Reduction of joint pain and stiffness associated with osteoarthritis (OA), which most often affects hands, hips and knees. Swimming "has also improved muscle strength and functional capacity in adults of middle age and older with OA," wrote the authors of the study.

"Swimming is a fantastic low impact exercise that offers complete training of the body while being soft on your joints," explains Chrissy Arsenault , MBA, RDN, sports nutritionist and personal trainer with Athletic muscle . "The buoyancy of water reduces the impact on joints, making it an excellent option for people with joint pain or arthritis. It helps improve joint flexibility, muscle strength and cardiovascular shape . "

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This same study revealed that cycling was also an effective exercise in improving joint health, with benefits of equality with those of swimming.

"After the exercise interventions [swimming and cycling], there have been significant reductions in joint pain, stiffness and physical limitations accompanied by an increase in the quality of life in the two groups," wrote study authors. In fact, they noted that the functional capacity "as evaluated by the maximum force of the handle, the isocinetic extension of the knee and the power of flexion" increased by 15 to 30% after regular cycling.

Arsenault agrees that cycling helps increase the mobility of articles and strengthens muscles around the joints, providing better support. "Whether on a stationary or outside bike, the bike can be a great way to improve joint health while increasing your heart rate," she says Better life .

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According to the foundation of international osteoarthritis, " Practice Tai Chi Not only improves discomfort in people affected by arthritis, osteoarthritis or any other pathology that causes joint pain, but it also helps prevent and delay appearance in healthy people. ""

Arsenault is suitable that TAI-Chi is particularly beneficial for joint health because its slow and controlled movements help lubricate joints and improve their amplitude of movement. "This old Chinese practice combines soft and fluid movements and deep breathing," she explains. "It improves balance, flexibility and muscle strength, while promoting relaxation and reduction in stress."

Stretching is also essential to your joint health, according to fitness experts. Especially, Andrew White , CPT, personal trainer and founder of Gym Pro garage , says that making circle stretches, including the ankle circles, arm circles and hip circles, can increase your amplitude of motion, directly the blood flow to joints, stimulate mobility and improve flexibility .

White recommends turning each joint in the hourly direction for 10 circles, then turning in the antihorarous direction for 10 other circles. "As a personal coach, I saw many customers enjoy these simple movements a lot," he said Better life .

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Many people assume that Resistance training With weights or bands will cause wear on the joints. However, studies show that the opposite is true: done correctly, resistance training can improve joint health.

"The use of light resistance or weight bands in controlled movements can help strengthen the muscles surrounding your joints. This added muscle support can relieve stress on joints and improve stability." Said Arsenault.

However, there is an exception to the rule. According to Harvard Health Publishing , it's better to Avoid resistance training If you have actively ignited the joints.

Experts say that calisthenic exercises that use your own body weight can benefit your joint health.

More specifically, White recommends trying leg extensions, which can strengthen leg muscles and improve the amplitude of movements in your hips, knees and ankles. AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB

"Sitting on a chair, extend a leg in front of you as much as possible, then bend it. Repeat 10 repetitions, then change your legs," he said. "This promotes strength and flexibility in the knee articulation. As a person who has always been a passionate runner, this exercise has been crucial to keep my knees in an optimal state."

Smpery is another simple calisthenic exercise that can improve articular mobility and force. "They are an excellent exercise for your lower body muscles, but they can be difficult to do at first. You can practice them slowly and with someone's help if you need it," said Robert Pustowar , a fitness expert and founder of Home athlete area .

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Jean Christophe Gabler , founder of Yogi time , said that many yoga poses have proven to be beneficial for joint health. In particular, he recommends a dog oriented downwards, also known as Adho Mukha Svanasana.

"It is used in many yoga bases and it is the fundamental installation for many other yoga sequences", explains Gabler Better life . "In this exercise, the position of the legs being hips, your hand and your fingers aligned with your shoulder. Fold your knees and put your palms on the ground with your fingers spread. The shoulder and wrist joints."

Finally, studies have shown that walking is protective against joint problems, especially knee pain. In fact, a study in 2022 published in the journal Arthritis and rheumatology analyzed the walking habits Out of more than 1,200 people and discovered that individuals who have not reported knee pain, those who regularly walked were less likely to develop knee pain in the following eight years.

Among the subjects of the study which declared having knee pain at the start of the study, those who Regularly tended to have less serious structural damage to the knees compared to non-livers.