Winters often cause a decrease in our movement, especially as a result of a disease like arthritis.
Arthritis in winter: Cold weather can often be brutal to your hair, skin, bones, and other parts of your bodyc, if you don’t take the proper precautions. Did you know that the body’s circadian rhythm, which is often correlated with exposure to sunlight and other factors, changes as the seasons change? The harsh winter months are to blame for many people’s joint and bone discomfort and disorders, with stiffness being the root of many problems. Shikha Dwivedi, dietitian and nutritionist at OZiva, shares the top three tips for keeping bones and joints healthy during winter.
3 TIPS TO KEEP YOUR BONES AND JOINTS HEALTHY IN WINTER
- Daily exercise and stretching: Exercising regularly has abundant benefits for the human body, especially when it comes to healthier bones and joints. Exercise not only helps increase bone density, but it also helps prevent osteoporosis, which is a condition in which bones become weak and brittle. Another benefit of exercise is that it keeps joint pain or stiffness under control by ensuring there is adequate blood supply. In addition, it also helps to strengthen muscles and maintain weight.
- Get your daily dose of vitamin D: The importance of vitamin D cannot be underestimated when it comes to healthy bones and joints. The best way to get vitamin D is to get plenty of sunlight exposure, since sunbathing is one of the best sources of vitamin D. However, it must be borne in mind that prolonged exposure to the sun can be detrimental to health and for this reason 10-20 minutes of sun a day are enough.
- Follow a healthy diet: No matter how much exercise you get on a daily basis, the fact remains that a healthy diet goes a long way towards ensuring a healthy body. A balanced diet not only helps prevent weight gain, but also helps improve general overall health. Omega-3 fatty acids and almonds help reduce pain-causing inflammation around the joints in your body. Patients can also include dark leafy greens like kale and spinach in their diet.
You can also eat foods rich in vitamin C like oranges, red peppers, and tomatoes because they reduce joint pain and cartilage loss. Additionally, people can supplement their diets with plant-based calcium products, many of which have been shown in clinical studies to support better calcium absorption than synthetic calcium. This promotes greater bone health while protecting bone form and function.
