Let’s face it, nobody enjoys getting older—it may creep up on you slowly. Suddenly, you might notice that it takes just a little bit longer to get off the sofa, or that your knees start creaking when you bend. You realize that you just aren’t as mobile as you used to be. Your joints feel stiffer and there is discomfort associated with even a limited range of motion. This could be because of a number of things including the result of the natural aging process or strenuous activity or excessive working out. Given that we use our joints constantly everyday, it’s no wonder that we subject them to regular wear and tear. Maintaining healthy joints is no longer the prerogative of the elderly. Young and old alike need to work towards keeping joints healthy and flexible.

What Happens to Our Joints As We Age? The joints in our bodies are of different types but they all work based on the same principle – they connect our bones to each other and give us the ability to move, lift, bend, and reach. Each joint consists of ligaments or connective tissues as well as cartilage that provides the cushioning between the joints and prevent the bones from rubbing against each other.

The degeneration of our joints occurs due to a number of factors including:

• Age - As we grow older, the cartilage wears down and gets thinner. It changes from being smooth to being fissured and as a result gets damaged more easily.
• Earlier injuries and inflammation – You might have twisted an ankle, had a fall on your wrist when you were younger, or suffered from a sports injury. Even these minor injuries contribute to future joint condition later in life as they cause low levels of inflammation that change the actual biomechanical structure of the cartilage. This, in the long run, destroys the cartilage at the place of injury.
• Loss of muscle mass – As you age, your muscles naturally lose mass. When this happens, the joints take on the responsibility to absorb the shocks that occur on a day-to-day basis and can become more and more damaged.
• Being overweight – The heavier you are, the more weight the joint has to carry. In the long run, this could be extremely detrimental to the cartilage, especially in areas such as the knees and ankles.
• Overuse of Joints. Overuse of a particular joint because of occupation or sports. For instance, playing tennis regularly can lead to overuse of the elbow joint and lead to "tennis elbow" which signals the beginnings of joint deterioration.

How to take care of your joints: There are several ways to improve joint health. These include:

• Maintaining a Healthy Weight – By maintaining a healthy and reasonable weight, you will decrease the load on your joints and reduce further wear and tear of the cartilage. Experts have said that weight loss can also reduce the joint pain and the progression of osteoarthritis over the years.
• Include a range of workouts – Exercising should involve a range of different activities. Experts suggest you incorporate low impact routines such as swimming or walking along with strength training (weights) and stretching exercises like yoga or Pilates for the best and most consistent results. All this will help reduce stiffness in the joints and reverse or at the very least delay further damage.
• Movement and posture – Try not to stay in one position for too long. Stretch to release the tension from your joints and keep them from stiffening at regular intervals. This is especially applicable if you work long hours at a desk. Maintain good posture. When you stand, keep your legs hip width apart and throw your shoulders back. When you sit, keep your feet, knees and hips at 90-degree angles.
• Relax – Relieve stress by using relaxation methods such as meditation, deep breathing, and chanting. It has been proven that a stress free mind has a positive effect on one’s overall health as well.
• Eat wisely – Studies show that eating oily fish such as salmon and tuna that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids may reduce inflammation in the joints that are the source of pain. Vitamin D may also protect your joints so ensure that you have at least 400 to 800 units of vitamin D everyday. Your body also needs a balanced diet in terms of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, meat and/or fish, dairy products, and carbs.
• Supplements - Resorting to pain killers and analgesics for joint pain is not a long term solution. Glucosamine, that occurs in the body naturally, is responsible for improving the structure and function of joints and cartilage. Glucosamine helps keep the cartilage lubricated and slippery. But as we age, the body produces less of the nutrients necessary for cartilage. This is where nutritional supplements come in. Supplemen its such as GoFlex are formulated to provide the nutritional building blocks necessary to support healthy joint function and help slow the progression of joint discomfort. Key ingredients in GoFlex that help to nourish and maintain joint health include Glucosamine Sulfate, Interhealth Collagen Type 2, and Hyal Joint—among a number of natural nutrients. Check with your health practitioner whether a health supplement like GoFlex is the right choice for you.

For anyone suffering from joint pain, a wellness program that includes exercise, diet, and quality supplements is imperative. Once you take a proactive approach to your health, the results could trigger better health for your joints leading to a better quality of life you can enjoy.