How to Keep Your Joints Healthy

Staying mobile as we grow older begins with healthy joints. It’s true that aging brings inevitable changes—cartilage becomes thinner, and movement can feel more limited. But rather than fighting nature, we can work with it. The right habits can preserve flexibility and comfort well into later life.

Why Do Joints Wear Out?

A joint is a movable connection between several bones, allowing them to bend and rotate. Cartilage holds the bones together, and synovial fluid facilitates movement by reducing friction, similar to oil in an engine.

The production of synovial fluid depends on how much stress the joint undergoes; more movement leads to more fluid. However, as we age, less fluid is produced, which causes the cartilage that cushions the bones to wear down.

This wear and tear most commonly affects people over 40-45 years old, especially those with associated health issues like obesity, diabetes, and endocrine disorders, or women who are postmenopausal.

Age isn’t always a factor, though. Joint pain can affect anyone at any time, often due to injuries or immune system problems. For instance, in the U.S., nearly 54 million patients suffer from joint disease, and that number is expected to rise to 78 million by 2040.

Tips for Keeping Your Joints Healthy

Choose a Healthy Diet

While fried, sweet, and high-calorie foods don’t directly damage joints, they can easily lead to obesity. Excess weight increases pressure on load-bearing joints, such as the knees and hips, accelerating their deterioration. Statistically, obese individuals experience joint pain four times more frequently than those who are of a normal weight. Moreover, fat cells can hinder blood microcirculation and disrupt nutrient delivery to the joints. Monitoring your weight and body dimensions is crucial to promptly identify any harmful trends.

And to support a healthy diet, the most common foods are rich in calcium, protein, and omega-3 fats.

• yogurt and other dairy products
• salmon
• leafy vegetables and leafy greens
• nuts
• brown rice
• legumes
• white meat
• corn
• gelatin-containing products like jellies

Stay Active

Exercise is crucial for maintaining healthy joint function. Cartilage itself lacks blood capillaries, so it relies on the surrounding tissues for essential nutrients. Increasing physical activity boosts both blood circulation and lymph flow, which positively impacts joint nutrition.

You can choose any sport, the main thing is that it corresponds to your level of training. Exhausting workouts are as harmful as their absence. Swimming, Nordic walking, and yoga are the most suitable for beginners.

Should I Take Joint Support Supplements?

Specialists have a mixed opinion on this issue.

• Glucosamine and chondroitin supplements may slightly reduce knee pain and cartilage volume loss with long-term use. However, there is no proven evidence yet that these supplements help prevent joint disease.
• Curcuma and Boswellia have anti-inflammatory effects, but there is no data proving their effectiveness in preventing joint disease.
• Collagen supplements, when used long-term (six months or more), may slightly improve joint mobility according to some studies.

Myths About Joint Health

• Crunching your joints is harmful!

In fact, joints make a sound due to the bursting or formation of nitrogen bubbles in the synovial fluid. There is nothing to worry about as long as there is no pain with crunching.

• Joints ache from the weather.

In reality, this is more of an unfortunate coincidence than a pattern. After conducting a large-scale study, scientists found that only a small fraction of subjects had joint pain that coincided with rainy weather.

• Chondroprotectors and other supplements have not yet been shown to be effective in treating and preventing joint disease.

When to See a Doctor

If you experience any of the following, it may be time to schedule a visit:

Our providers can help you determine the cause and create a plan to relieve discomfort, prevent further damage, and support your long-term mobility.