What exactly are joints?

Joints are an important part of the human body. Joints are where bones connect to each other. Once a joint is injured, it will affect the interaction between bones, causing difficulty in movement, and in severe cases, it will leave sequelae. Protecting joints is something everyone should be aware of. To protect joints, you can supplement more calcium, exercise more and get more sunlight exposure. Next, let’s take a look at what to do before exercise to prevent joint injuries!

1. First of all, deal with the contradiction between "exercise" and "rest" well. Grasp the right balance between exercise and rest, movement and stillness. The general principle is "rest the joints and exercise the muscles." For those who have already developed early, mild symptoms, necessary rest can reduce joint wear and tear and help dissipate inflammation and swelling. Proper exercise can increase the strength of the muscles around the joints, enhance joint stability, relieve joint pain and improve joint function.

2. Choose a scientific and appropriate exercise method. For people with knee arthritis, swimming and walking are the best forms of exercise. They do not increase the load-bearing capacity of the knee joint, but allow the muscles and ligaments around the knee joint to be exercised. Swimming is a whole-body exercise that has health-care effects on the cervical spine, shoulder joints, knee joints, etc. It also has a certain therapeutic effect on diabetes and hypertension. Walking is the most economical, safest and most suitable form of exercise for long-term maintenance. Patients with arthritis should not take too large steps or walk too fast. Brisk walking can easily aggravate joint wear. Sit-ups, push-ups, bridge exercises, and imitating bicycle riding are all good exercises for patients. You can do leg-lifting exercises on the bed, using your thighs to drive your calves without bending your knees. If necessary, you can put a sandbag on your ankles to increase the intensity of the exercise. The advantage of this exercise method is that it is not limited by the venue. Arthritis patients should not engage in strenuous activities, such as horse stance, squatting and standing up, climbing stairs, climbing mountains, etc. These activities will increase the load on the joints and aggravate joint wear. Dr. Zhang Yadong said that when the elderly are climbing stairs or climbing mountains, the load on their joints is 4-5 times that of normal times. Some buildings do not have elevators, so when they must take the stairs, they can hold on to the railings or walls. Be careful not to overstep up the stairs. Wait until both feet are on one step before taking the next step.

3. Control the intensity of exercise. It should be appropriate not to feel overly tired after exercise. No matter what kind of exercise, it should not cause excessive muscle fatigue or increase joint pain symptoms.

4. Lose weight. Obesity often increases the burden on the joint surface, accelerates the wear and aging of the joint structure, and causes deforming arthritis. Obesity can also indirectly affect joints through other metabolic complications, such as impaired glucose tolerance, dyslipidemia, etc.

5. Pay attention to your walking and working posture, and do not twist your body while walking or working. Avoid squatting for long periods of time. When doing squatting work for a long time, such as auto mechanics and foundry workers, it is best to sit on a small stool and change to a low sitting position. When sitting or standing for a long time, you should also change your posture frequently to prevent the knee joints from being fixed in one posture and exerting too much force. Riding a bicycle is a very good form of exercise for treating and preventing osteoarthritis, but you should pay attention to adjusting the height of the seat so that you can sit on the seat with your feet on the pedals and your legs straight or slightly bent. A seat that is too high or too low, or pedaling hard when riding uphill will have an adverse effect on the knee joint.

6. Avoid joint injuries. Regular physical exercise can enhance the strength of muscles and ligaments, which is beneficial to enhancing the stability of joints. It can also improve the flexibility of joints and play a positive role in preventing joint injuries. Keeping each joint moving within its normal trajectory is an important measure to prevent chronic joint strain. It is necessary to master scientific training methods and means. In the event of falls, collisions, etc., cushioning the impact is an effective and reasonable self-protection action. For example, if you accidentally fall, do not use your hands to support yourself on the ground. Instead, you should actively lower your body's center of gravity and try to land on your buttocks first, with your body rolling up to cushion the impact. If you have to use your hands to support yourself on the ground, you should immediately bend your wrists and elbows, and land on your shoulders and back, with your body rolling up to cushion the impact. When a joint is twisted, the body should follow the natural cushioning action and not push hard, otherwise the tissues outside and inside the joint will be damaged, and in severe cases, may break.

7. Prevent and treat osteoporosis. To prevent joint diseases, you must pay attention to bone health. A serious consequence of osteoporosis is fractures, which of course also include fractures in various joints. Start eating a calcium-rich, low-salt diet with an appropriate amount of protein, such as milk, from childhood, and pay attention to sun exposure and physical exercise.

The joints must be protected comprehensively, so joint protectors are needed. Joint protectors not only protect and prevent injuries, but also relieve joint discomfort and promote better recovery. If you have joint problems, you can do some exercises to help your joints recover sooner. In terms of diet, you can eat more black foods and fresh vegetables, develop good habits, and pay attention to keeping your joints warm.