Thursday, January 29, 2015

Ease Joint Inflammation With Exercise

How does exercise help with joint inflammation?
Strengthening exercises can help [build] the muscles that support the joints and keep them from grinding each other.

Movement and exercise also increase flexibility, resulting in less joint pain.

How does improved flexibility help decrease pain?
[First], your joints are in better positions [that are less painful].

Also, you have fluid inside your joints, which [needs to] lubricate them well enough so they can move back and forth without causing a lot of grinding or discomfort. But lubrication can decrease when the fluid's viscosity [thickness] worsens. When you're more flexible, you're able to maintain the viscosity.

What are other ways to maintain my joints' fluid viscosity?
Through supplementation [such as with glucosamine and chondroitin]; exercise; and by staying really well hydrated. Drinking plenty of water is very important.

I recommend you drink between one-half to 1 ounce of water for every pound of your body weight each day. So if you weigh 130 pounds, you should drink from 65 to 130 ounces – a half-gallon to a gallon – over the course of a day. Or drink until your urine becomes colorless.

[Editor's note: With some conditions, such as overactive bladder ^[1], amounts of fluids may need to be restricted. Check with your doctor about your fluid requirements.]