Mild arthritis can feel painful at times, but it doesn’t need to destroy your quality of life. The right lifestyle adjustments could help you manage any pain, stiffness, or soreness, ensuring you live a full and happy life throughout the years.
If you are looking for ways to improve your mobility and perform daily activities with ease, you may need to alter your routine, try new devices, or change your diet. Here are four ways to alleviate minor arthritis pain and enjoy a healthier, happier life.
- Lose Weight (and Maintain It)
If you are currently overweight or obese, you could reduce painful arthritis symptoms by losing weight. It will take pressure off your joints, which can slow down the disease’s progression. Once you have lost excess pounds, you must try to maintain a healthy weight to ease symptoms and enjoy an excellent quality of life as you grow older.
Also, it might help to follow a plant-based, anti-inflammatory diet to reduce unwanted pain and stiffness. Incorporate the following antioxidant-rich foods into your diet:
- Leafy greens
- Fruits
- Nuts
- Whole grains
- Tofu
- Green tea
- Stay Physically Active
Various research studies have shown that exercise can decrease joint pain when living with arthritis. If you believe you can’t complete a workout at the gym or in the home, you must try to more physical activity into your lifestyle.
For instance, you could get your muscles and joints moving when gardening, cycling, walking, or taking the stairs over an elevator. Find ways to get your body moving to decrease pain, soreness, and stiffness every day. You can trust it will be worth the effort.
- Try Red Light Therapy
If you are unfamiliar with whole body red light therapy, it has been cleared by the FDA for temporary relief of minor arthritic pain and stiffness. If you are living with arthritis, it is a worthy consideration, as it is an easy-to-use non-invasive treatment that you could use in the comfort of your home.
The red light wavelengths cannot deeply penetrate the body, but they can increase circulation and cellular energy. Also, it reportedly reduces oxidative stress damage and boosts the body’s natural healing cycle to promote the healing of damaged tissue and decrease inflammation. As a result, it could decrease your pain and improve your muscle performance.
- Slash Your Rising Stress Levels
Stress can affect many aspects of your health, from your blood pressure to your mental health. Yet, you might not realize it can exacerbate arthritis symptoms if left unchecked. Chronic stress causes an increase in inflammation in the body, which will increase the pain and stiffness associated with arthritis.
Don’t underestimate the damage stress can cause to the body. Find ways to manage it to reduce flare-ups and slow down the disease. For instance, step away from stressful environments, embrace relaxing activities, and care for your mental health. A calm, quiet, and stress-free lifestyle could be key to managing arthritis throughout the years.
