Joint pains over the age of 50 may occur due to several different reasons, and the only way to prevent most from occurring is to take proper steps. This would apply to your strength training and nutrition, which affect a lot of what you experience within your joints.
Checkout the steps to prevent joints pains or help relieve them if you already are experiencing them. Take an active approach now before problems get worse.
1. You May Need to Lose Weight
Unhealthy weight gain usually leads to joint pains, especially as you get older and they can no longer withstand the extra pounds. Common areas to experience pains due to weight are within your hips, knees, and ankles.
Strengthening your body and losing weight will take away the pressure being placed on these joints, and over time you will begin to notice the pains fade away and become less frequent, or even may disappear altogether.
2. Strength Train 4-5 Days Per Week
Strength training is not just for younger adults looking to have a nice-looking physique. Implementing a training program utilizing resistance can help alleviate and prevent joint pains drastically.
The CDC and other health authorities recommend a minimum of 150 minutes per week for strength training and cardio. Training days of only 30 minutes would mean 5 days were needed to get stronger and prevent joint pains.
Resistance does not have to just be with equipment. Some have to start with just strengthening their body without extra weight first. Easy exercises that should be incorporated into your program are sit to stand squats, hip hinges, and a type of back row.
Squats help strengthen your lower body especially the hips and knees. Hip hinges assist with your hips and posterior chain muscles such as the lower back, glutes, and hamstrings.
Back rows help strengthen your back and arm muscles to develop a well-rounded, stronger body.
3. Stretch Before and After Workout to Relieve Joint Pains
Stretching helps get the blood flowing to tight muscles after a quick warm-up. This may help with preventing injuries from taking place during your training, but the biggest thing is getting your joints moving.
Limited joint range of motion is normally due to lack of muscle flexibility, which is the muscles ability to stretch to its maximum point. Tight muscles stiffen up and hinder flexibility, and for this reason you would want to implement stretching before and after your training.
4. Learn How to Breathe During Strength Training to Relieve Joint Pains
This doesn’t sound like something that happens, but many breathe improperly while strength training. During movements people breathe into their chest, which does little to activate your core muscles.
Instead, you would want to breathe into your stomach. That means your diaphragm is being activated to cause the other core muscles to tighten up and protect your spine and lower back.
5. Consume Plenty of Nutrients Daily
Many instantly seek supplement use for joint pain while their diet is unhealthy. Supplements don’t take place of eating healthy foods unless a medical condition calls for this, which is pretty rare just like those who think a doctor will say not to strength train.
All nutrients play different roles in the processes taking place within your body, and eating enough of them will help your joints with many other benefits such as weight loss, lowering blood pressure, and possibly preventing heart disease.
6. Consider Changing Your Footwear to Relieve Joint Pains
Running shoes offer impact resistance while running, jogging, etc., but are not the best for strength training. The cushion and slight heel raise add pressure on your joints during lifting movements, and a shoe with a flatter sole would be optimal.
7. Get Some Natural Sunlight
Vitamin D is naturally absorbed while you are out in the sun for short periods, and can also come from foods such as mushrooms as well. Seeking all nutrients from natural sources should be your first instinct before going straight for a supplement bottle.
However, vitamin D supplements do come in handy during the winter season if you live in an area that prevents going out during the cold seasons.
8. Consume Foods that Help Inflammation
Foods that help reduce inflammation are called anti-inflammatory foods, which is essentially what helps reduce the pain being felt within your joints. There are plenty of different foods to consider, and drinking tart cherry juice has even proven to help joint pains.
Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables daily gives you a variety of anti-inflammatory support. However, foods high in omega-3 fatty acids do as well. This would be from fatty fish such as salmon, nuts, and even whole grains.
9. Avoid High Impact Exercises
Running is actually a high impact exercise that places a lot of stress on your joints and spine when executed on hard surfaces. Consider investing in a curved treadmill if you wish to run, or keep your movements minimal while outdoors.
Other high impact exercises are ones that focus on jumping, which should not be used as part of your training program to prevent joints pains over the age of 50.
Those in these years performing them have been strength training for years and are strong enough to perform high impact movements.
10. Hydration is Key
Staying hydrated is key to anything with your body. Muscle development, fat loss, and even joint pain relief. Seems to be a concept always harped on, but the reason for this is because many are dehydrated and don’t even know it.
There really is no exact amount recommended through research since it depends on the body and daily activities. The only recommended consideration is at least 8 glasses of water daily, which many do not consume within a few days.