12 Ways to protect your joints

1. Maintain your ideal body weight.  Proper nutrition is a must for healthy joints, bones and muscles

2. Exercise.  Keep your body moving – “Use it or lose it!” Nothing relieves arthritis pain more effectively than 30 minutes of regular exercise daily

3. Stand up straight.  Always monitor your posture

4. Use your biggest joints when lifting or carrying anything heavy in order to avoid injury and strain on smaller more delicate joints

5. Pace your activity.  Alternate periods of heavy activity with time out for a rest

6. Listen to your body.  It lets you know when you’re overstressing your joints

7. Don’t be a couch potato.  Change your position often in order to decrease joint and muscle stiffness.  Get up at least once every hour and move around

8. Don’t be a weekend warrior!  Start new activities slowly and safely until you know what your body will tolerate

9. Always wear proper safety equipment for sports. Wrist pads, knee pads and helmets were invented to protect your joints

10. Don’t try to do a job that’s too big for you to handle.  Get help!

11. Get seven or eight hours of sleep every night

12. Consult your doctor if you have joint pain for two weeks or more