As you age, you become more susceptible to joint injuries, pain, and conditions such as arthritis. Naturally, it's important to safeguard your body against these issues, so review these tips to help keep your joints loose and pain-free for years to come.

How to Protect Your Aging Joints

1. Avoid Tobacco

Arthritis is defined as inflammation in the joints. Since smoking and other forms of tobacco use cause inflammation throughout your body, these activities put you at a higher risk for developing arthritis. It's also more difficult to heal after you hurt yourself when you smoke, so injuries would cause your joints to be under additional stress as well.

2. Stay Active

Exercise regularly, ideally for a minimum of 30 minutes, five days a week. Aerobic routines will improve blood flow in your cartilage and help you lose weight, which puts less pressure on your joints. Lifting weights will also build up your muscles, which will protect you from joint injuries. However, don't exercise until you stretch first, as this helps blood circulate your joints and makes them less likely to tear. In fact, stretch at least once a day, even if you don't work out, to keep your cartilage limber.

3. Eat Well

To get the best possible results from exercising, you'll need to focus on eating healthy meals and snacks, too. They should be rich in fruits, vegetables, and lean meats, so you can lose more weight and build stronger muscles. Additionally, drinking water rather than soda or other sugary drinks will keep your cartilage intact. Dehydration causes your body to drain water from your cartilage, leaving your joints with less protection and making you more vulnerable to joint injuries.

4. Take Medicine & Supplements

Chondroitin and glucosamine may not directly benefit your joints, but they're known for keeping your cartilage healthy. Also, anti-inflammatory medicine can reduce the effect of flare-ups, but if you need to take it every day, visit a doctor. They may recommend cortisone shots to lubricate your joints and reduce inflammation.

To get professional help preventing or recovering from joint injuries, go to Orthopaedic Associates of Rochester in New York. With training on the most up-to-date techniques and two x-ray machines on-site, they’re committed to providing you with same-day diagnoses and treatments for any problem. If necessary, an orthopedic surgeon is also available for hip replacement, foot surgery, and other procedures that relieve pain. To learn more about their services, call them today at (585) 723­-3000.