How do you make your first impression of a person? By appearance, the way of expression or maybe the look? Of course, not by the person's joints. But have you ever wondered what joints can say about a person? In fact, the condition of the joints is an indicator of physical abilities and general human health.
What habits should you get rid of to keep your joints safe?
- Excess weight.
Did you know that there are over 200 joints in every human body? In order for them to serve you as long as possible, it is important to take care of them. To do this, you first need to rid the joints of excess weight. Every extra pound affects your knees, tightens your back, hips and legs.
- Being overweight doubles the risk of developing osteoarthritis.
- Every five kilograms of weight increases the risk of osteoarthritis of the knee joint by 36%,
- A weight loss of five kilograms reduces the risk of gonarthrosis by 50%.
- Almost 70% of patients who need knee arthroplasty are obese.
1. Overload
The joints that are most in demand in everyday life are usually the most affected. For example, boxers and textile workers usually develop osteoarthritis of the joints of the hands. Farmers and basketball players have problems with their knee joints, and tennis players and workers who use a hammer – with those on their shoulders. These activities lead to regular microtraumas, due to which the intra-articular cartilage begins to crack and thin over time.
2. Involving the wrong muscles
Wrong load on the wrong muscles has a very negative effect on the joints.
- If you have to open a heavy door, push it with your shoulder, not your fingers.
- When lifting something off the floor, tense your leg muscles, not your back. Keep in mind that the legs must be bent at the knees!
- When carrying a thing on your hands, place it on your palms, not your fingers.
3. Sleep on the belly
This, of course, can help with snoring, but in general, this position is undesirable for your health and can significantly harm. In this position, the head leans back, the neck strains, the vertebrae are compressed. And all this in a chain puts pressure on the rest of the joints and muscles.
4. Squatting or kneeling
These postures lead to a gradual deterioration of the knee joint and a double increase in the risk of developing gonarthrosis. Scientists have found that 40% of men and 68% of women who squat for at least one hour a day develop arthrosis in the joint between the femur and the patella by the age of 60.
5. Smoking
Nicotine in cigarettes and chewing tobacco reduces blood flow, which disrupts nutrition, including nourishment for bone joints. At the same time, the amount of calcium in the body decreases. Nicotine also lowers levels of estrogen, a hormone essential for bone health. So, if you want to keep your joints healthy for as long as possible, you need to quit smoking. Isn't that a good reason?
6. Sleep deprivation
You may ask: what is the connection between poor sleep and joints? In fact, the explanation is simple. When you do not sleep well, hormonal balance is disrupted, the body (including muscles, tendons and joints) does not receive enough essential nutrients and, as a result, premature aging occurs.
7. Incorrect posture
Let me give you an example: when you sit on a chair, the joints are deflected forward, if at the same time a person has scoliosis, then such a movement causes increased tension in the muscles and joints. Now count how many times a day you sit down and get up, and multiply this by the load power. To avoid problems, always try to keep your back straight and your shoulders back and down.
With this article, I would like to make you understand that the condition of our joints is the result of our attitude towards our body and health in general. There are things we do every day and they seem normal to us, but in fact they can have consequences once we get older. Of course, age and heredity also play an important role in joint health, however, the right approach can prolong our flexibility and prevent joint pain for as long as possible.
I would also like to share with you some simple rules to help you keep your joints mobility.