6 Things You Can Do To Keep Your Bones And Joints In Tip-Top Shape

Like many people, you may not give bone and joint health much thought until you experience pain or other problems. However, taking simple steps to proactively protect your musculoskeletal health can go a long way in keeping you pain and injury-free as you age. Here are six things you can do to keep your bones and joints in tip-top shape, according to the experts.

- Amy Greenburg

#1 Maintain a healthy weight

Carrying excess body weight is not only associated with high blood pressure and an increased risk of diabetes and heart problems, but it also puts extra stress on the knees, hips and back. This added stress on the joints can lead to degeneration, thus accelerating the process of osteoarthritis, explains DR DANIEL PHANG, a pain management physician at Affinity Pain Clinic. For this reason, achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is essential to our mobility, and can help reduce risk of joint damage, arthritis and pain.

Even a little weight loss can help! According to the Arthritis Foundation in the US, every pound of excess weight you lose takes four pounds of extra pressure off your weight-bearing joints.

#2 Keep moving

Staying active is crucial to keeping off those extra pounds. It can also ease joint stiffness, prevent muscle strain and help preserve bone density, explains DR TAY EILEEN, senior consultant and orthopaedic surgeon at StarMed Specialist Centre.

She suggests weight-bearing exercises such as walking or running to help foster strong bones, and bodyweight exercises like push-ups or pullups, functional movements like climbing stairs and weight training exercises to build muscle.

"Just make sure that your exercise routine includes core-strengthening exercises for your abdominals and back muscles. A strong core helps you maintain your balance and prevent falls."

Low-impact exercises such as swimming and cycling, she says, are particularly effective in strengthening muscles without putting strain on the joints.

Yoga and Pilates are also great low-impact exercises. "They're good for increasing flexibility, core-strengthening and improving your balance, all of which can help to prevent falls," says Dr Tay.