Ways to Reduce The Risk of Developing Arthritis

Arthritis is a common word that we use when we refer to inflamed joints in the body. There are many forms of arthritis and unfortunately there is no cure for a lot of these, but some can be brought under control. So why do some people develop arthritis? Some forms of joint pain and arthritis are hereditary. If you happen to have a close relative that is suffering from it, then that highly increases the odds that at some point in your lifetime, you will suffer from it too. We always tend to think that arthritis only happens during our senior years, but joint pain can strike at any time in our lives. There is some good news and that is that we can take steps to reduce the risk of developing arthritis and joint pain now and in the future. You should avoid wearing high heels. By keeping your heel height to 2 inches or less your knees will be under a lot less strain and that reduces your chances for developing joint pain later in your life. I am not saying that you have to throw away your high heel shoes, but keep them for special outings and not everyday use. If you are overweight, dropping a few pounds will help reduce the stress on your joints. When a person is walking, the load being carried on the knees increases to 4 times the body weight. Just think about that, if you are 10 pounds overweight, that is an extra 40 pounds on your knees when you are walking and that can take a toll on them. Eat plenty of foods that contain antioxidants as they can help to reduce inflamation and joint pain. Try to eat an apple a day and make sure to keep the peeling on it as that is where the antioxidants are in the apple. By eating these foods that contain antioxidants , you will further reduce your risk of joint pain or arthritis. Olives are also an excellent food to eat as they contain hydroxytyrosol and this extract is ten times higher in joint relieving antioxidants then that found in vitamin C. Another way to reduce the risk of joint pain and lessen your chances for developing it later in your life is to take a daily supplement. Studies have shown that a combination of omega-3 and glucosamine have proven to be more effective then taking glucosamine alone. You should always check with your doctor before taking any supplements. If you are a runner and run a lot on pavement, cut back on your running as this increases the pressure on your knees and other joints. An alternative to running is cycling and it burns the same amount of calories and it has a much lower impact on your knees and joints. If you must run, the best place to run is a running track or you could run one day and do some other form of exercise the next. Also, make sure that you do some form of general exercise as this will help your body to produce natural oils and lubricants to help prevent the joints from wearing down. Swimming, walking and cycling are all excellent choices for exercise. I hope that you found this information useful and if you would like more information on ways to live healthy, then please visit my eating healthy web site where you will find great information to help you live a long and healthy life.