Daily habits good for healthy joint
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By Song Sang-ho
Many people begin their New Year with various new resolutions. The most frequent resolutions include themes on “health” including quitting smoking, dieting and exercising. In relations to the news of the extension of the average lifespan announced last year, the need for health care has been highlighted intensively, thereby placing importance on the quality of life and longevity with good health rather than simply living longer. Among these, much attention is focused on “healthy joints.”
Joints can be kept healthy simply by practicing a minor daily life habit continuously. I recommend exercise, proper eating habits and regular medical examinations as key to keeping joints healthy.
Firstly, continuous exercise is the most important practice. Degenerative arthritis is a natural phenomenon arising from aging. However, it is possible to slow down the pace of or prevent aging through exercising and management. Walking is an aerobic exercise that anyone can do easily without any particular preparation. Walking, which is known to help diets be effective and have an affirmative effect on strengthening the lower body, is particularly effective in the management of healthy joints. In fact, the Medical College of Harvard University presented research in the past that showed walking was helpful in preventing fractures of the hip.
In addition, swimming and bicycling are also exercises that can maintain the joints. Since swimming and bicycling are able to strengthen muscles without imparting excessive burden on the knee joints, they are recommended even to patients suffering from arthritis.
However, if you find exercises performed outdoors burdensome, I recommend indoor exercises such as continuous stretching or light muscle strengthening. These help the maintenance of healthy joints as they promote the supply of nutrients to cartilage and keep the joints flexible. Although it is appropriate to exercise for about 30 minutes to 1 hour 2 to 3 times a week, it is recommended to adjust the duration and frequency according to the ability and physical condition.
The second recommended practice is the consumption of food for healthy bones. Precautions must be taken against damaging healthy joints due to the excessive adjustment of menus and irregular eating and weight control. The health of joints is threatened by improper diet.
In order to maintain healthy joints, food with a high calcium content that increases bone density should be consumed. Fish such as anchovies, Pacific saury and dried slices of whitebait that are consumed along with their bones as well as dairy products including cheese, milk and yogurt contain a lot of calcium. In addition, it is a good habit to eat food that contains vitamins and minerals that prevent aging and reduce inflammation of the bones and joints through anti-oxidation actions. These can be consumed through eating green vegetables, fruits and vegetable oils. In addition, a low-salt diet is also beneficial in the management of the health of joints because sodium discharges calcium from the body, thereby lowering the bone density and damaging the joints.
Third is the early treatment of disorders through regular medical check-ups. Diseases of the joint can be treated quite easily with outstanding results if detected early. However, there is no sensory nerve in cartilage that helps with the movement between the bones. Accordingly, patients do not experience any symptoms in the early stages even if they are damaged, and the patients frequently visit hospital only after severe damage has ocurred. It is, therefore, recommended to undergo regularly scheduled check-ups.
In particular, it is recommended that middle-aged women undergo regular medicals even if there is no major abnormal symptom since they have weaker muscular strength and smaller knee cartilage than men, which are factors that lead to damage to the joints. In addition, men who have taken steroids over a prolonged period of time or frequently drank alcohol in the past need to check the conditions of their hip joints. In the case of younger people, damages to the joint due to trauma or being overweight may accelerate degenerative arthritis. As such, it is recommended that such patients manage their joints through early medical examination and treatment that is appropriate for their conditions.
Health is the foremost concern of everybody and efforts must be put in to keep the joints healthy irrespective of age in order to ensure a healthy life in later years. I sincerely hope that everyone begins the New Year with a healthy body and joints through practicing minor habits that are beneficial.
The writer is the president of the Wellton Bone
& Joint Hospital.