As you age, your entire body changes. This isn’t an overnight change. A lot of us assume that around the ages of 50-65, you’ll suddenly wake up one morning with a sore back and joint pain. You may wake up to sudden pain on one occasion or another, but it doesn’t develop overnight. This pain you’ll experience started decades earlier, and there are things you can do to prevent this pain and keep you feeling younger for longer.
Osteoarthritis
Often, the pain you feel in your knees is caused by osteoarthritis, which is when the cartilage around your knee is worn away. Everytime you move, walk, or climb stairs, you are putting pressure onto your knees. That pressure, and regular wear and tear, will wear down on that cartilage over time. And once that cartilage is gone, your bones will rub against each other with every move you make, leaving you with pain, swelling, and stiffness.
Strengthen your muscles
So, what can you do to keep your joints strong and avoid this scraping pain? The first line of defense, is to strengthen the muscles in your legs, to keep as much weight off of that knee cartilage as possible. You don’t have to run marathons or be a powerlifter in order to keep your muscles strong. Aim for tone, and do low-impact exercises that will strengthen your leg muscles.
Maintain your weight
If you are overweight, you will be putting more pressure onto your knees and joints. Consult with your doctor, and consider undergoing a weight loss journey. You want to maintain a healthy weight throughout your adult life, and your knees will thank you.
Increase motion
The more motion that your body has, the less pain it will feel. If your joints are too stiff to straighten your knee, head to a doctor to work on exercises and practices to get motion back into that knee joint. As time goes on, and your mobility returns, work on keeping your body moving to maintain this motion.