As you age, you may start thinking more about how to maintain good health. It’s easy to take advantage of your health when you’re young, but if you follow a balanced diet, get plenty of exercise, and engage in healthy lifestyle habits, your body will thank you throughout your life. Adding joint supplements to your healthy lifestyle can help support your goals for optimal strength, flexibility, and mobility as you age.
Along with a healthy diet and exercise regiment, joint supplements can help support healthy, flexible joints so you can continue to enjoy an active lifestyle for years to come.
Read on to learn how joint supplements can work together with your diet and exercise as an integral part of your healthy joint program.
Maintain a Healthy Weight for Joint Health
Each pound of additional weight you carry increases the stress on your joints. By maintaining a healthy weight, you are lightening the load on your joints and making it easier for them to stay healthy.
Healthy Joints Need a Healthy Diet
Adding more of the foods that support joint health and decreasing those that interfere with joint comfort and flexibility can help keep you moving with ease throughout your life. Nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D are all excellent for your joint health program. Some of the best foods for joint health include:
- Salmon
- Sardines
- Walnuts
- Flax seeds
- Broccoli
- Kale
- Blueberries
- Apples
- Pineapple
- Tomatoes
- Olive oil
- Dark chocolate
- Green tea
- Coffee
Joint Supplements Can Fill-in-the-Gaps in Your Diet
Some nutrients that are beneficial for joint health can be easy to get from a healthy diet while others are a bit more challenging. These are some of the top nutrients to look for in your joint supplements:
- Glucosamine
- Curcumin
- Omega-3 fatty acids
- Vitamin D
- Magnesium
- Calcium
- Vitamin K2
Move Your Body for Joint Mobility
The phrase “Use it or lose it” applies perfectly to your joint mobility. Without frequent movement, it can be challenging for your joints to maintain their fluidity and range of motion. To keep your joints moving with comfort and ease, practice a variety of movement throughout your day including:
- Stretching – While this can be done any time you feel the need to loosen up your muscles, it is especially important to stretch before and after a workout. Stretching can warm up your muscles and protect them from injury, while also helping facilitate comfort and relaxation after exercise.
- Range-of-motion exercises – These are used to move your joints through their full range of motion to lubricate them and help maintain the ability to move them easily. This can be anything from rotating your joints to pointing and flexing your feet as well as exercises such as yoga, tai chi, qi gong, and pilates.
- Strength training – This is not just for bodybuilders or people looking to get buff. Strength training is crucial for maintaining strong, healthy muscles to support joint stability. Plus, muscles help support a healthy metabolism which is helpful for weight maintenance.
- Low-impact exercise – This is a great way to get some cardiovascular exercise without putting stress on the joints as you would with a more intense workout like running or jumping rope. Exercise doesn’t need to be vigorous to support your joint health. Simply walking, bicycling, and swimming can keep your joints mobile.
USANA Bone and Joint Health Supplements: A Key Part of Your Healthy Joint Program
While you’re brewing your coffee or green tea and blending up a breakfast smoothie with blueberries and flax seeds, grab a glass of water and your USANA Bone and Joint Supplements to round your morning joint health regimen. This comprehensive line of bioavailable supplements contains a full range of nutrients designed to keep your joints comfortable and flexible, so you can keep enjoying life to its fullest.