
Leading an active lifestyle has its perks. Exercising regularly can boost your mood and improve your mental health with the release of endorphins. An active lifestyle also reduces your risk of heart diseases and other illnesses that can lower your quality of life. Working out will help maintain the condition of your body so that the natural process of aging is smooth.
Taking care of your body is a priority that often moves to the bottom of the list when your day gets busy. It isn’t easy to find time for a workout when you work a full-time job or have to take care of your children. However, if your health moves to the backburner, you may suffer the consequences later in life.
Two body parts that could use some extra attention are your joints and bones. Together, these parts allow for mobility, so failing to take care of them could result in limited mobility as you get older. While it may be tough to adopt practices that support these structures in your body, sports nutrition makes things a little simpler. Here are five ways that you can use nutrition to keep your joints and bones healthy.
Leafy Green Vegetables
Green, leafy vegetables are often considered super foods, especially in relation to joint and bone health. Some examples include broccoli, cabbage, and okra. One of the main benefits of these foods is vitamin K, which is an ingredient that plays a big role in bone development. The stronger your bones are, the more likely they are to last as you get older or engage in physical activity.
Dairy Products
Bone health and maintenance is crucial for long term health, especially if you lead an active lifestyle. Physical activity can strengthen your bones and joints, but it also puts extra stress on them. For this reason, your diet should include multiple foods that contribute to the production and protection of bone cells. Dairy products like milk, eggs, yogurt, and cheese can provide healthy levels of calcium and protein, which together can strengthen your bones and joints.
Oily Fish
One big problem that athletes face is inflammation in the joints. Due to the amount of physical activity they engage in, which is a crucial element of achieving health quickly, their bones and joints are at risk of wearing down from the extra stress. Oily fish contain crucial nutrients known as omega-3 fatty acids. These ingredients are incredible at preventing inflammation, which is a top concern for those who care about their joint health.
Bell Peppers
Bell peppers of any color can be very beneficial to include in your diet in support of bone and joint health. They are rich in vitamin C, which is a nutrient that can preserve bone and even protect cartilage. Cartilage provides cushioning for your joints, so maintaining this layer is critical for supporting wellness for your joints. The best part about bell peppers is you don’t have to eat much of them to receive a healthy amount of this crucial vitamin.
Supplements
Food is always the most efficient delivery system for vitamins and minerals that your body’s cells require to function. However, this does not mean that it is the only source of nutrients. Joint health supplements are products that can provide additional nutrients to support wellness for these important areas of your body as well as bone health. Ingredients like glucosamine, chondroitin, and curcumin can support bone development, cartilage protection, and freedom of movement in the tendons of your joints. Make sure you only use supplements in addition to a balanced diet for the best nutrition plan.
Why Nutrition Matters
Caring for your bones and joints requires more than just eating the right foods. Getting regular exercise can maintain the structure of your bones and joints, and staying hydrated can ensure these mobility parts stay healthy and lubricated.
At the very least, nutrition is providing the ingredients necessary for the cells in your body to do what they are supposed to. Nutrition gaps can make other healthy practices far less effective since the cells do not have what they need to do their jobs. By focusing on your dietary choices and eating foods like leafy green vegetables, dairy products, oily fish, bell peppers, and bone/joint supplements, you are ensuring that the cells have everything they need.
Nutrition is an important component of physical health and plays a role in every part of your body. When you deprive your cells of the resources they need, premature breakdown can occur, resulting in bone or joint issues that grow worse over time. Make health-conscious choices at the grocery store and focus on foods that support bone and joint health for a strong nutrition plan.