Even if you happen to suffer from painful joints after a workout, exercise is very important for the prevention of weak bones and it should remain part of your daily routine unless a doctor tells you otherwise. Weight training in particular is best for your bones and joints, and although it may seem counterintuitive, running and other high-impact sports and activities are also great for building bone density. Sure, these activities may cause pain and you may not want to engage in them depending on the pain’s intensity, but it’s still vital for strong bones.
You have probably heard that running is hard on the knees or hips, and it may sound like a contradiction to emphasize weight training for bones. Running and other high-impact sports can cause problems with the hip joint or knee joint, but the bones themselves are actually getting stronger the longer one continues this type of activity. With any of the weight bearing activities, the impact of the foot strike actually helps strengthen the bone. It is ironic that the impact itself is what hardens the bones, while this same impact is what pains the joints.
There are supplements that can help lessen the pain associated with high impact exercise. If you are someone who loves to exercise but doesn’t like the joint pain associated with your strenuous workouts, two popular supplements can help. Two of the most common supplements for joint and bone health are calcium and vitamin D. Most people already know that calcium is important for strong bones and teeth. Calcium supports bone density and bone healing. It is a very important mineral, but people don’t always take its ingestion seriously, as they tend to think that if they drink their milk they are getting sufficient calcium. However, it is crucial for bone health, and bone health is critical for joint health. If your bones stay strong, they support the muscles, and the muscles will remain aligned as they should without wear and tear on the joints.
Broccoli and fortified orange juice also contain good amounts of calcium, but you will probably not be able to eat enough broccoli to make it worthwhile, even if you are someone who loves broccoli. Dairy will also provide a wonderful source of calcium, but again not everyone can consume enough dairy to make it worthwhile. In fact, some people have an allergy and cannot have dairy at all.
If you get the majority of your exercise outdoors you will likely be provided with some of the vitamin D you need. Of course, if you are outdoors for the majority of the day, you need to remember to wear your sunscreen or you are outweighing the benefits of the sun with the harmful risks of its rays. Still, you will likely need to supplement your diet with some form of fortified vitamin D even if you get a lot of sun. Some parts of the country are sunnier than others, and in the winter months even the sunniest areas are not sunny enough. Of course, in some areas during the winter months people tend to stay indoors all the time. Vitamin D supplements can help year-round.
Increasing your Vitamin C and Vitamin K intake can also help keep your bones and joints stronger. As with calcium and Vitamin D, you can do this by supplementing if you are uncertain as to whether your diet provides sufficient amounts of these important vitamins.
Glucosamine and chondroitin are two other supplements that are generally sold in a compound as one, and can be extremely effective in helping joint pain. Studies show that joint pain associated with age and increased activity levels have decreased dramatically with continued use of glucosamine and chondroitin. You may want to consider adding this supplement to help prevent the aches and pains that sometimes occur in your bones as you age and try to maintain the same level of activity and fitness.
These two supplements can be used together as a preventative measure to help stave off the joint pain that may result from years of being active. Many young people use them, and it is not just a supplement for the elderly or senior portion of the population. If you have been an avid runner or participate in other high-impact sports, your joints may pay the price long before the rest of your body feels the aging process. The longer you take glucosamine and chondroitin, the better the effects are on your system. Since it builds up in your body over time, you get greater results the longer you take it.
Supplementing with any and all of these can be very beneficial for your joint health and bone density. When used in combination with a healthy lifestyle and diet, you will increase your chances of living a pain-free life for a very long time.
