National Bone and Joint Week 12-20 October
Did you know that every year one in five people consult their GP with a bone, joint or muscular skeletal problem? And while a bad back or stiff hips may be a sign of old age, these conditions can affect people of all ages, including children.
Taking action to improve the way we deal with the health of our bones, joints and muscles is important, and how we tackle that in the gym or during exercise has an enormous impact on our long-term health. The good news is that with proper care, you can avoid joint injuries.
It’s National Bone and Joint Week this week (12th - 20th October) so here are a few tips on ways to protect your joints whilst training:
Get the right balance with low and high impact cardio. This will not only strengthen the muscles but will also help to protect your joints. Too much impact can cause stress and potential damage. Try inter-changing high impact activities with swimming, treadmill walking or stationary bikes.
Stretching really helps to increase flexibility and also helps to maintain the range of movement around joints. It’s important to warm up all major muscle groups before you exercise and remember to stretch afterwards to increase flexibility.
Studies have shown that diets that are more alkaline are more likely to improve your energy and also help lower inflammation. So make sure you’re including plenty of berries, avocados, kale, spinach and apples as part of your everyday diet.
Take some advice when selecting a training shoe. We all know that for running the main factor is the compression ability and a good pair of running shoes helps the stress on weight bearing joints. However, for all forms of activity you need to make sure that you have cushioning and stability, as well as comfort and flexibility - so make sure you get the perfect fit.
Listen to your body, and know that when it’s time to stop a certain technique or exercise, you must stop. We all live by the motto ‘no pain, no gain’ but there is a difference between improving your performance and causing an injury. Stop and rest early enough, before you cause a joint or muscular problem.