Natural Ways To Improve Mobility

How many arthritis sufferers does it take to open a bottle of pain reliever? Two - 1 to grab the jar while the other one smashes it. And since 1 out of 3 Americans suffers from arthritis, it shouldn't be hard to find a bottle-opening partner.

Now that was a joke, but it wasn't very funny. Arthritis is now thought to be the number one reason for disability in the United States. And, it's not only painful, it can also be extremely frustrating. Even the most mundane of tasks, like walking up steps, buttoning a shirt or opening a bottle of pain reliever becomes a major chore.

In the past, many medical practitioners advised us that we'd just have to live with the pain of arthritis and then they prescribed painkillers which turned out to have serious side effects. But more recently, and as a result of a lot of recent research, many physicians are now recommending diet and lifestyle changes to help prevent arthritis and lessen the symptoms.

If you are suffering from joint pain or stiffness, it's important for you to exercise. I know it's probably one of the last things on your mind when your joints hurt, but the benefits it brings will far outweigh the temporary discomfort.

Now this exercise does not have to be strenuous to do its job. Walking is good for you as well as swimming, stretching, tai chi and yoga - anything that helps you to stay active and loose without stressing you out. Swimming, for example, is an excellent form of exercise because it's non-weight bearing and the buoyancy helps to support your limbs and joints.

Another thing you can do to give yourself some natural relief from joint pain is to add whole grains, colorful fruits and vegetables and oily fish like salmon, tuna, and mackerel to your diet.

In order to put less stress on your hips and knees you'll want to maintain a healthy weight, eliminate sweets and keep your fat intake below 30% of your calories. And, drink lots of pure, clean water - at least eight glasses a day - while eliminating colas and caffeinated drinks.

You'll also want to reduce the amount or even eliminate red meat from your diet. Many nutritional studies have recently shown that people who eat red meat every day have double the risk of arthritis as those who eat red meat no more twice a week.

And finally, whole food nutritional supplements are also essential to good health. Even the American Medical Association is now recommending supplementation. Because as well as you may eat, it's next to impossible to get everything your body needs daily from your foods.

Here's a list of some nutrients arthritis sufferers have found helpful: omega 3 fish oils to help decrease inflammation, vitamin C for building strong healthy collagen, Vitamin D for strong healthy bones and glucosamine hydrochloride for strong cartilage.

Arthritis doesn't have to be the end of the world. With a few changes you just mind find it a little easier to deal with on a daily basis.