Lose Weight To Help Your Joints

Lose Weight To Help Your Joints

Many people want to lose weight to fit in to a dress, a bikini, or to win a contest.  However, being overweight, even just moderately, impacts weightbearing joints and can increase the pain of arthritis or other debilitating conditions. Research has shown that during walking the hips, knees and ankles bear three to five times a person\’s total body weight. In fact, for every pound a person is overweight, three to five pounds of extra weight is added to each knee during walking. In contrast, a ten pound weight loss causes 30 to 50 pounds of extra stress to be relieved from the joints.  If you are at least 20 pounds overweight, the following principles may help you:

1.     Before starting an exercise session, you must train your muscles and joints for the activity.  Your hip, knee and ankle joints are bearing a lot of your weight, so you need to warm your muscles and joints (especially the ones that you will be using most) for at least 5 minutes before exercising.  Nothing special, walking around or marching in place will do just fine.  This helps prepare the muscles and joints, in the same way you warm up your car in the morning before you start driving.  Be sure to warm up the muscles you will be using the most during your session.  If you are planning to ride your bike for example, make sure you warm up and stretch your quadriceps, hamstring and calf muscles, perhaps by simply riding slowly and with little or no resistance for about 5 minutes.

2.     An estimated 95% of people that lose weight on quick weight loss diets gain back the weight within a year.  In order to see sustained, permanent weight loss, you must make sustained, permanent efforts through exercise and proper nutrition.  Of course when your schedule is busy, there are challenges to overcome.  Just don’t succumb to the challenges that most of us face everyday—your job, your kids, your business, your meetings – – these are things that you won’t be able to do as well anyway if you get arthritis or pain in your knee or hip joints.  So start moving!

3.     One of the keys of weight loss is water intake.  The rule of thumb for water intake is to drink 8-8oz glasses everyday.  But the exact amount is really dependent on your weight, activity level and any pre-existing health conditions.  You may need to drink a little more if you exercise or have an illness that is causing you to vomit or use the bathroom more frequently.  Drinking water will help you control your appetite before and in between meals which leads to your making better food choices and making smaller portions.

Follow these tips for healthy eating ideas to help you with your weight loss efforts:

*If you can’t give up red meat completely, eat it only in small quantities, or choose poultry and fish as an alternative.
*Always cook by steaming, grilling, baking, or microwaving; avoid frying.
*Before you cook chicken or turkey, trim away the fat and skin.
*Instead of eating ice cream that is loaded with calories, eat frozen yogurt instead.
*Replace chips, cookies, cakes and pies with gelatin, fruit salad or fruit with yogurt.

Take charge and Remember that you (and you alone) are responsible for your health! Get in control now.  Get rid of the excuses and get motivated!  Start slow with your exercise schedule and build up as you gain momentum.  Ask for help from a friend if you find yourself slipping back into your old habits.  Make 2011 your year to reach and surpass your health and fitness goals.

Have a Happy Holiday!!!

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