Are niggles and annoying aches and pains getting in the way of your training? Keeping your joints healthy allows for effortless movement, so it’s important that you take good care of yourself.
Here’s some top tips from the experts at Solgar® to help keep your bones and joints healthy and strong…
Do weight bearing exercise: This doesn’t mean you have to go push weights at the gym. Exercises such as walking, skipping, hopping and jumping all contribute to increasing bone density.
Stay supple: Even if you have strong bones, if your joints and muscles are not supple this is going to impact your mobility. Yoga and Pilates are great ways to maintain flexibility and you don’t need to join a class, there are plenty of videos online you can follow at home.
Avoid sitting down for too long: Sitting has been described as the new smoking – it can cause joint and muscle pain. If your job involves sitting for long periods, set an alarm on your phone to remind yourself to take breaks and have a walk around – or better still use an adjustable standing desk.
Get enough rest and sleep: Whilst exercise is supportive for joint and bone health it’s important to make sure that we don’t overdo it. It’s vital that we get enough sleep to ensure our muscles, joints and bones can repair and grow back stronger. Aim for at least seven hours each time.
Vitamin K2*: We all know that calcium rich foods are good for bone health, however cheeses such as Gouda, Brie and Edam not only provide calcium but are also a source of vitamin K2. Vitamin K2 is otherwise hard to come by as it is primarily found in natto (fermented soybeans) which is not readily available or commonly consumed in the UK. Vitamin K2 can help to support the correct utilisation of calcium, so that it is taken to the bones where you need it and not deposited in the arteries where it can be harmful.
Magnesium**: Pumpkin, sesame and sunflower seeds are also great foods to include as these are a good source of magnesium which supports bone health and also may be helpful for muscle cramping. Many people fail to consume adequate quantities of magnesium in their daily diet and both physical and psychological stress utilise the bodies stores which increases the risk of deficiency.
Vitamin D***: Not only is vitamin D (the sunshine vitamin) required for the absorption of calcium, it also supports muscle strength and may be helpful in the fight against inflammation. It’s not possible to obtain sufficient vitamin D from diet alone and researchers estimate that 40–75% of the world’s population is deficient. Unprotected exposure to the sun for 10-20 minutes around midday in the spring and summer months (ensuring you do not burn) helps to keep our levels topped up. However in the autumn and winter months sun exposure does not produce enough vitamin D and therefore the UK government recommends that we all take a supplement to maintain adequate levels.
Remember that a healthy and varied diet is a good source all of essential vitamins and minerals and plays an important role in an active lifestyle.
Visit solgar.co.uk/move to view Solgar’s range of natural health products that can help you supplement and support your body’s needs and help support your mobility, flexibility and maintenance of healthy joints and bones.
*Vitamin K contributes to normal blood clotting. Vitamin K contributes to the maintenance of normal bones. **Vitamin D contributes to normal absorption/utilisation of calcium and phosphorus. Vitamin D contributes to the maintenance of normal bones. Vitamin D contributes to the maintenance of normal muscle function. ***Magnesium contributes to normal muscle function. Magnesium contributes to the maintenance of normal bones. Magnesium contributes to a reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
