How to stay active and help keep joints strong as you age
If you’ve been working and striving for most of your life, retirement can be a wonderful time to change your lifestyle and pursue new, rewarding endeavours. However, this opportune period often coincides with age-related changes to the body that can hit harder than you expect.
One of the most common problems encountered at this transitional stage of life is joint stiffness. Often dismissed or tolerated as “creaking bones”, it nevertheless may lead to a loss of flexibility as we get older – and can even be exacerbated by other factors to become more serious conditions such as osteoarthritis.
Taking precautionary steps now may help reduce health risks and could also help with maintaining an active lifestyle going forward.
Supporting joint mobility
As joints get older, their movement becomes stiffer due to thinning cartilage and decreased lubricating fluid. However, there are some very simple and effective steps you can take to support joint mobility.
Aside from exercising and maintaining a healthy weight, maintaining an anti-inflammatory diet can also help keep joint stiffness at bay. Chronic inflammation, which can result from the stresses of modern lifestyles and poor diet, may not only affect our energy levels and cognitive ability, but also contribute to conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and other joint and muscle problems.
Eating more dark leafy greens, legumes, healthy fats and cold-water fish and shellfish among others can also help reduce inflammation and improve wellbeing.
Supplements are also an incredibly effective way to help complement a healthy diet, with one of the best options found right here on our shores, New Zealand Greenshell Mussels. They have been found to successfully reduce symptoms such as cartilage degradation in a recent Massey University study. They are a good source of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids such as EPA and DHA as well as GAGs (glycosaminoglycans), which serve as shock absorbers and lubricant to keep cartilage around joints flexible, elastic and strong.
According to Sabrina Tian, research science manager at New Zealand fishing company Sanford, “Greenshell mussels contain many health benefits but are particularly helpful in the management of inflammation, bone loss and cartilage breakdown.”
Sea To Me
Sea To Me* provides the benefits of Greenshell Mussels in a capsule format with the highest quality and sustainability at every step of the process. From coast to capsule, Sea To Me prepares its Greenshell Mussel Powder capsules from start to finish right here in New Zealand.
The mussels – rated as one of the world’s most sustainable seafood products by the Monterey Bay Seafood Watch Programme – are grown and harvested in pristine New Zealand waters before being powdered in a natural flash dry process, encapsulated and packaged – all locally.
Two capsules a day of the 100 per cent natural wholefood product can help manage inflammation effectively throughout adult life and allow you to keep doing what you love.
Available in selected pharmacies. For more information, visit Sea To Me.
This is a sponsored article produced in partnership with Sea To Me.
*Dietary supplement Always read the label and use as directed. If symptoms persist, see your health professional. Dietary Supplements are not a replacement for a balanced diet.