Worried about your joints? With age and wear and tear, joints can become stiff, significantly impacting the quality of your life, mobility, and independence. However, you aren’t completely helpless in the face of these challenges. The cartilage in your joints obtains its nourishment from motion: a process called “elastic-hydrodynamic nutrition”. Your joints can significantly benefit from you staying at a healthy weight, which reduces the pressure on them. Another way to protect them is by developing the muscles surrounding them, ensuring pressure is equally distributed so they aren’t overworked.
To help your joints stay healthy as long as possible, Dr. Thomas Kane III shares some effective exercises to maintain joint longevity.
You may be wondering what’s so magical about exercising regularly. After all, can it truly be that beneficial beyond maintaining a healthy body fat percentage and strengthening surrounding muscles? Newer studies shed light on why exercise prevents joint degradation through several mechanisms distinct from fitness-building alone.
A 2023 study suggests exercise directly impacts the immune system, lowering inflammation—a major risk factor for joint problems.
Another interesting finding about exercise and joint health is its role in resetting circadian rhythms in the joints. In humans, we have a major “clock” in the brain, but there are also “smaller clocks” that maintain circadian rhythms in other tissues. These clocks in the joints become less effective with time, but exercise helps reset them, which is crucial because these rhythms also regulate the timing of repair mechanisms in the joints.
There isn’t one exercise superior to others; all exercise has great benefits. However, it’s important to reduce wear and tear for joint health. The best exercises for this purpose are low-impact and gentle.
Walking is a full-body exercise, even though it may seem like it primarily works the legs. Standing upright strengthens the core, and the back and arms also maintain posture. Consequently, walking provides a light, full-body workout that benefits the heart while being gentle on your joints.
Swimming is one of the most joint-friendly exercises, as the water supports body weight, relieving pressure from the joints. This exercise is excellent for burning calories, keeping the heart healthy, and even building muscle, especially in the upper body.
Tai Chi involves slow, controlled movements that improve balance, flexibility, and strength. The deliberate weight shifts build muscle around the joints, making it ideal for people experiencing joint stiffness and pain. These slow movements don’t cause wear and tear.
Preventive measures can slow joint degradation, but if you are already experiencing pain, discomfort, or stiffness, you may need additional support to prevent further damage. Contact us to schedule an appointment with Dr. Kane at our office in Honolulu, Hawaii, to learn more about your joint health and how to improve your quality of life.
