Often, these problems are treated by medications or a change in lifestyle. Another way you can help improve skeletal strength involves supplements.

You may have questions if you should take a supplement, if they work, or which ones you should take. We plan to answer all these and more in this guide.

Why You Might Need A Joint Supplement

Dozens of reasons exist why you might need a supplement.

Some people don’t have the best diet. They eat too little or too much processed foods that contain very little vitamins and nutrients.

Over time, they may become vitamin or nutrient deficient. Deficiencies can wreak havoc on the body.

One should make healthy lifestyle changes first before a supplement and speak with a doctor. They will recommend which ones, if any, you may need.

Another common reason you may need a supplement deals with joint conditions like arthritis, osteoarthritis, or rheumatoid arthritis.

Many supplements market to sufferers of these conditions. However, they usually state they can cure the condition. This simply isn’t true.

Some of these supplements may even cause harm to your health.

Speak with a doctor before beginning any treatment as it may interfere with your current medications or with your overall health.

Other people may have health conditions that cause nutrient deficiencies like diabetes, alcoholism, or cancer.

Typically, people who suffer from this receive treatment from a doctor, but they may recommend extra care.

In this case, your doctor will notify you of which supplements you should take and how you should take them.

How Do Joint Supplements Work?

Your body needs a certain amount of daily intake levels for each vitamin or nutrient. If you fail to eat a proper diet, you lose out on several essential nutrients.

Many end up taking supplements to replace what they miss from their diet. Others take it for health reasons or because they want a preventative boost to ward off any sickness or diseases.

Taking a supplement is as simple as eating, just pop it in your mouth and swallow. Some you may even have to eat with or drink a glass of water for optimal digestion.

There are times when a pill isn’t enough.

Those that must take supplements from a doctor might find the process different. Some may need intravenous (IV) or a shot to replenish.

This will vary depending on your condition and severity. For this method, you go to your doctor’s office, hospital, or clinic.

You may even have a healthcare provider visit your home to administer the IV or shot.

Vitamins and key nutrients were linked or proven to help fight sicknesses, diseases, or health conditions.

Some studies on supplement replacement were conducted with these. Surprisingly, these studies found that supplements work just as well as eating a meal to get nutrients.

However, some scientists are wary of the results. Many of the studies conducted used observational trials.

This means they weren’t actually tested against a placebo pill.

The studies that were scrutinized and replicated against a placebo found that the supplements didn’t help as much as they thought.

Observational studies didn’t account for diet factors, exercise habits, or other variables.

It’s possible the positive results were seen because of the participant living a healthier lifestyle while taking the supplement.

Now, some supplements have shown that they do contribute to your skeletal strength and overall health, but more research is needed.

What to Look for in a Joint Supplement

The type of supplement you need will depend on the health condition or nutrient you lack. One should take caution when beginning any supplement regiment and speak with a doctor.

The average person could improve their skeletal strength through exercise and a healthy diet. That doesn’t mean those with health conditions can’t too.

They certainly can but the condition they have may limit their capacity to exercise or nutrients from their diet may not be enough. In that case, a supplement could help aid them.

Stay clear of any supplement that claims it can cure a health condition or disease. These supplements could cause more health problems.

Best Joint Supplements for Skeletal Strength

Some supplements are better than others for your joints.

For example, you wouldn’t want to take a B vitamin complex supplement if you’re not low on B vitamins and want to improve your skeletal strength.

Below are the types of supplements you should consider if you want to improve joint health. Remember that just because it’s a vitamin, you still can take too much and cause harm.

Follow the recommended intake in the instructions or follow the advice your doctor or healthcare provider gives you.

Glucosamine

Glucosamine naturally occurs in the body. It helps to prevent your bones from rubbing together.

When this happens, it causes pain, inflammation, and sometimes cartilage breakdown.

Many supplements geared toward joint health will have glucosamine in them, especially osteoarthritis.

Chondroitin

Osteoarthritis breaks down the cartilage of the joints. Chondroitin help build cartilage. You’ll often see chondroitin and glucosamine combined together in a supplement.

The research doesn’t have any answers on whether a combination of the two is better than taking them on their own.

However, chondroitin has been shown to slow the progression of osteoarthritis helps with joint stiffness and pain.

Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM)

MSM naturally occurs in the body, animals, vegetables, and fruits. The sulfur in MSM gets used by the body to form connective tissues.

MSM has a reputation for the reduction of joint pain and inflammation. The limited studies conducted on MSM found that it acts as a painkiller by interacting with the nerves that transmit pain.

It also found that it reduced pain and improved skeletal strength for those with osteoarthritis.

Calcium

We all have heard about drinking milk to build strong bones or how calcium is essential in our diets. It doesn’t just help with building strong bones.

Each time your heart pumps or your muscles contract, you use calcium. Without calcium readily available, it takes it from your bones.

Supplements can help ensure you’re meeting daily intake requirements.

Omega-3 (Fish Oil)

You may have heard about the heart-healthy effects omega-3s have. It also helps with your joints and cells of the body too.

Omega-3s have anti-inflammatory effects. Research has found that omega-3s can help with the inflammation one feels with rheumatoid arthritis.

It aids in stiffness and joint tenderness when taken on a regular basis.

Turmeric

Often looked at as a natural treatment, turmeric has become one of the most popular ways to treat joint pain.

The main chemical component in turmeric, curcumin, has anti-inflammatory effects.

Studies for turmeric are limited, but the studies conducted have found that it improves joint pain symptoms more than placebos.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D helps to promote strong bones and aids in the absorption of calcium. While vitamin D itself is important, vitamin D3 deals more with the bones.

Vitamin D3 gets produced in the body when you go into the sun.

People that live in colder climates will usually take a vitamin D3 supplement since they’re not going outside as often. Studies back up those claims.

One showed that women experienced less bone loss in the winter when they took vitamin D3 and calcium.

Another study in those that had osteoporosis showed an increase in bone density when taking a supplement.

S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAMe)

SAMe supplements help with depression and osteoarthritis. Your liver naturally produces this. It helps to repair and produce cartilage.

When a SAMe supplement is taken, it alleviates symptoms of joint pain.

Foods to Boost Joint Health and Bones

Some people don’t like to take supplements. They might feel as though it’s a waste of money or that they don’t work. Others might think they’re not safe.

If you are someone that doesn’t like to take supplements, you can work on your diet. Your diet can do wonders for your health.

It may slow the progression of some conditions down, eradicate them completely, or help alleviate the symptoms.

Fortified Milk

When you were a child you may have heard your mom tell you to finish your milk to get strong bones and teeth.

Your mom wasn’t too far off. Fortified milk is one of the few vitamin D sources you can get in food. Vitamin D helps strengthen bones. It also may prevent hyperparathyroidism.

This condition has been linked to joint issues like pain, inflammation, and osteoporosis.

Bell Peppers

Bell peppers contain vitamin C. One medium pepper contains more than one day’s daily intake. Vitamin C helps with the production of collagen needed to build strong bones, nails, hair.

It also helps keep your skin looking vibrant and healthy. Vitamin C is also an antioxidant. Antioxidants reduce inflammation.

Mushrooms

Mushrooms contain vitamin D. Studies have shown that mushrooms are one of the few foods that contain vitamin D.

Another found that eating them could potentially curb the need to take a vitamin D supplement.

Oatmeal

Whole grains and oats contain essential minerals for joint and bone health. Studies have found that consumption of whole grains leads to lower levels of inflammation.

Salmon

When people think of fish, they might think of halibut or cod. While those fish are full of nutrients themselves, salmon not only has vitamins but omega-3s too.

Salmon contains calcium and vitamin D too. Omega-3s will help with inflammation, while calcium and vitamin D help to build stronger bones.

Dark Leafy Vegetables (Kale, Spinach, etc.)

Dark leafy vegetables are full of vitamins and antioxidants. These antioxidants help with inflammation, joint health, and overall wellbeing. Some dark leafy greens like kale and collard greens contain calcium.

Cherries

Cherries contain anthocyanins. Anthocyanins give them a red color. It also helps to reduce inflammation and help with gout flare-ups.

Blueberries

Blueberries contain polyphenols. Research on polyphenols shows that it reduces joint pain in those with osteoarthritis.

Blueberries also contain vitamin C. Vitamin C helps stimulate collagen production. Collagen aids in building skeletal strength.

Tofu

Research shows that soy may reduce joint pain. Why? Just a half of a cup of tofu contains almost half of your calcium intake needs for the day.

Prunes

While they’re not the most popular food among anyone under the age of 50, prunes are chock-full of vitamins that are essential to your joints.

They contain potassium, magnesium, and vitamin K. Research has shown that it may help prevent bone loss when you consume five to six prunes per day.

Best Joint Supplements For Bone Health

Arazo Nutrition Joint Support	Performance Lab® Flex	ProJoint Plus
For those not entirely sold on joint support supplements, Arazo Nutrition Joint Support is a great product to start out with.	If you’ve been looking for a premium joint supplement option, hands down, we can’t say enough about Performance Lab® Flex. Complete transparency in what’s in their products and a commitment only to the highest quality ingredients.	We like ProJoint Plus because it’s backed by some credible health authorities like the Harvard Medical School and Healthline.

Final Thoughts

We may have to take a joint supplement for various reasons. You may have a joint condition or suffer from nutrient deficiencies.

Whatever the reason you take a supplement, consult with a doctor. Once you’re approved to take one, keep cautious of those that claim they cure ailments or disease.

Research has backed the claims of most supplements on the market, but some research is limited on others.

If you aren’t too sure about supplements, you can always eat a healthier diet that’s full of vitamins and minerals. This will help build your skeletal strength.

When this occurs, it can be quite frustrating, not to mention downright scary, depending on the severity.

However, in order to recover from bonking, you must rehydrate and refuel as soon as possible.

Why Does my Body Bonk During Long-Distance Sports?

Bonking symptoms vary among people and can occur on different levels before finally worsening, in which case, you may experience more severe symptoms, including shaking, loss of focus, heart palpitations, and hunger in addition to or in place of the usual weakness, tiredness, dizziness, and cold flashes initially brought on by the condition.

According to experts, there are two reasons your body experiences a bonk: not enough fuel and low hydration.

Not Enough Fuel

Most athletes know to hydrate before their long-distance sport, but they don’t always consume enough carbohydrates to fuel their body for the activity.

Failing to do so can cause a drop in the body’s glycogen stores, which can cause you to feel lightheaded or spaced out. You may also experience low peripheral vision, and images may appear blurry.

Glycogen is simply a form of glucose that the muscles use as a main energy source.

Hence, when glycogen levels in the body become depleted during physical activity, it means less energy to fuel the muscles, thus causing them to become fatigued, after which time you may find it difficult to keep going.

Low Hydration

Another cause of hitting the wall is low hydration, which results in a loss of body water that can also cause your energy level to drop.

It is also often accompanied by an elevated heart rate and weak, heavy legs. It can also lead to heatstroke and more if not addressed right away.

Low hydration, also known as dehydration, occurs when your body uses more water than it has available, such as through profuse sweating during endurance sports, which helps keep your body from overheating.

Therefore, to keep the body from becoming dehydrated, it will signal when it is thirsty, during which time it is important to consume enough fluids to prevent issues.

It is also not uncommon to experience a psychological bonk, which can cause mental low points throughout your long-distance sport either in addition to physical bonking or on its own and also make you lose endurance.

How to Recover From a Bonk

Eat As Soon As Possible

If you feel lightheaded, spacey, or you suffer blurred vision during your sport, it most likely means your body is low on fuel, and you need to consume food to restore it to normal, even if you feel sick or have a lack of appetite, which can also sometimes occur after a bonk.

Ideally, it is recommended you eat a combination of simple carbohydrates and protein, such as a peanut butter sandwich.

However, if these food sources are unavailable, simply eating anything high in carbs or sugar, such as an energy bar, sports drink, soda, or cookies, etc., will also help quickly restore your glycogen levels.

Or you could also take a glucose tablet to help provide immediate relief. Just be sure to ingest something that contains carbohydrates to help boost your energy stores.

Replenish Your Body’s Fluids

If at any time during your sport, your legs begin to feel heavy and weak, you are losing power, or you just plain can’t seem to keep your pace, it means your heart rate is up because you are low on fluids, in which case you need to drink more to replenish your body’s hydration level.

To help quickly recoup from dehydration, experts recommend drinking water with a dash of salt or an electrolyte beverage to help restore your mineral balance, which increases your body’s fluids as well as also helps improves nerve and muscle function.

Or you could also consume a drink that contains protein and fast-hitting sugar, such as fruit juice or chocolate milk, which can also help you recover quicker after a bonk.

However, avoid drinking alcoholic beverages following a bonk because it causes frequent urination, which further promotes a loss of body fluids, thus increasing dehydration. It also interferes with muscle repair, which can extend the time it takes for you to recover.

Allow Your Body Sufficient Time to Rest

After properly refueling and hydrating from hitting the wall, allow your body time to absorb the nutrition and fluids so your muscles can regain strength, and your brain’s function can return to normal, which a nice, long nap can help you do.

Sleep also helps give the body a break, so there’s less stress on your physique overall, which also helps improve its condition. It also helps you awake more energized because there is a decreased need for calories as you sleep, so you recuperate faster.

Therefore, after a bonk, if possible, restrain from all further activity for the rest of the day and take sufficient time to relax.

Some Ways to Help Stave off Bonking

Prepare Yourself Mentally

As stated earlier, maintaining a positive mental state is half the battle during long-distance activities, which can also make a difference between you successfully completing your sport or not.

Therefore, prior to your event, take time to prepare yourself mentally for the challenge ahead, which can be done in various ways, including repeating mantras while focusing on the end goal.

You should also keep in mind your reason for participating in the sport, which will also provide you with a mental picture to help keep you motivated.

During your event, experts also recommend focusing on your breath, making sure you inhale and exhale at a rhythmic rate between strides.

It might also help to chat with other athletes at your pace to help keep each other pushing through.

Get a Good Night’s Sleep the Night Before

Adequate sleep not is not only good to help your body recover from hitting the wall, but it also helps balance your hormone and stress levels the night before, so you awake more refreshed and in a positive mood.

On the other hand, sleep deprivation can make you feel tired quicker, which can cause you to fall short the following day.

As a general rule, experts suggest getting at least 8 to 10 hours of sleep the night before your activity, and you should also strive for quality sleep in the weeks leading up to your event for the best results.

Refuel/Rehydrate Before, Throughout, And After Your Activity

Experts recommend athletes eat a diet that is at least 40% to 65% carbohydrates every day leading up to the event to help prevent undereating and maintain glycogen stores.

You should also consume a pre-sport meal of no more than 200 to 300 calories to help fuel your activity.

If your event is longer than 60 minutes, it is suggested you fuel with low to moderate glycemic carbohydrates, such as bananas, yogurt, oatmeal, or apples because they enter the bloodstream slowly, which provides sustained energy.

Your pre-workout meal should also be consumed at least an hour before exercise to give it time to digest and be burned for fuel throughout your sport.

However, because your glycogen stores will only last about 90 to 120 minutes, it is also important to refuel your body during your activity to help keep your energy up.

Endurance sports can burn up to 250 calories per hour; therefore, try to refuel your body with 100 to 200 calories an hour to maintain your stamina and prevent bonking.

However, don’t wolf down your snack. Instead, experts recommend nibbling your food at regular intervals throughout your activity to help prevent you from getting sick.

If you are exercising longer than an hour, they also suggest sipping a beverage with electrolytes along with your food to also help keep you hydrated.

You should also start hydrating at least two days before the event, as well as also drink at least 8 ounces of sports drink or water at least two hours prior to your sport, so your body is properly hydrated by the time your event begins.

Recognize the Early Signs of Bonking

Recognizing the early signs of bonking helps you address it immediately, so you can still finish your event.

Some early signs and symptoms of a bonk include feeling slow, weak, or heavy, after which time if you continue to push on, you may also begin to experience sweating, shaky muscles, and a lack of coordination and physical effort before finally developing more severe symptoms, such as lightheadedness, dizziness, distorted vision, and disorientation.

Some people also experience nervousness, anxiety, and irritability.

Likewise, if you have experienced bonking before, try focusing on when you started feeling fatigued and why, which will help you plan a successful nutrition and hydration plan to help prevent it from happening again.

Pace Yourself

Because you typically burn more glycogen than you can replace during endurance sports, you should also pace yourself to avoid depleting your stores too quickly.

As a general rule, experts suggest when participating in events that last under 1 hour, you can typically go hard without bonking.

However, for events that last longer than 3 to 5 hours, they recommend keeping a moderate pace to help reserve glycogen.

This way, your body burns fewer carbohydrates per hour and, instead, burns more fat, thus creating the perfect fat to carbohydrate burn ratio, which helps prevent hitting the wall.

Restore Your Glycogen Levels Post-Activity

Your muscles also utilize glycogen to help repair themselves after long-distance exercise; however, if your glycogen levels are depleted post-workout, they will simply feed on themselves for fuel, which can cause you to feel weak after your sport and, over time, even cause your muscles to shrink.

Therefore, it is also important to replenish your glycogen stores after your activity to help boost recovery and prevent muscle loss. It also helps ensure you can resume your sport the next day.

To do so, experts recommend that you try to eat within 15 minutes after your sport because this is when enzymes that are responsible for making glycogen are most active, so they will quickly replace depleted stores.

In general, you should aim for a 3:1 to 4:1 ratio of carbohydrates and protein, which also helps with muscle repair.

However, any foods or drinks with a mix of carbohydrates, protein, and fat, such as chocolate milk, is also often touted as a good post-workout treat.

They recommend you also eat again within 2 hours after your initial post-workout meal to continue to replenish glycogen levels in the body and enhance recovery.

Recommended Carb Powders

EFX Sports Karbolyn Fuel	Performance Lab® SPORT Carb	Vitargo Carbohydrate Powder
What we like about EFX Sports Karbolyn Fuel is that it is a food-derived carbohydrate drink and that they manufacture their own products – it is 100% banned-substance free.	Performance Lab® SPORT Carb is a premium carb powder that provides muscle energy fast and for an extend amount of time. Perfect for endurance athletes or very strenuous workout sessions.	What we like the most about Vitargo Carbohydrate Powder is that it comes in many different flavors – giving you options to choose your favorite.

Final Thoughts

When it comes down to it, if you learn what causes s bonk, as well as also use your own experience with it to help stave it off in the future, you will never have to face the dreaded bonk or bonk again.

Of course, this will take some experimenting with your body’s carbohydrate and hydration intake to find the perfect formulation for you; however, it beats hitting the wall unexpectedly during your activity, which can cause you to have to quit.

And if you do begin to bonk in the middle of your sport, remember, the earlier you address it, the better to avoid worsening the condition, and perhaps you can even keep on going; however, experts warn you should never push yourself past extreme symptoms because it can cause convulsions or a coma.

However, you don’t need to suffer from pain.

There are many joint protection techniques that you can practice in the comfort of your own home to alleviate and prevent further joint pain.

Joint Pain Causes

Anyone at any age can suffer from joint pain.

Some people may have joint conditions that cause them daily pain like arthritis, gout, fibromyalgia, lupus, Lyme disease, Leukemia, hypothyroidism, Rickets, or Sarcoidosis.

These conditions are diagnosed by a doctor and may come with their own set of techniques or physical therapy movements that can alleviate pain.

However, for the purposes of this article, we’ll focus on joint pain caused by exercise or improper exercise.

There are a few ways you can acquire joint pain from improper exercise or techniques.

Bursitis

One condition that causes pain is called bursitis. Bursitis affects the bursae sacs that cushion your bones, tendons, and muscles and inflames them.

It commonly occurs in your shoulders, elbows, hips, and knees. This condition happens when joints are performing repetitive motions or using too much pressure on the joint.

You can get bursitis through various activities like gardening, skiing, tennis, painting, golfing, shoveling, carpentry, or scrubbing.

You can even get it by improper posture while sitting or standing for long periods of time or a failure to stretch before exercise.

Tendinitis

Another condition called tendinitis affects tendons through inflammation. Like bursitis, tendinitis happens because of repetitive motions and stress.

Tendinitis commonly occurs in the shoulders, elbows, knees, wrists, and heels. However, it can occur in any tendon.

Many people that work certain jobs are at risk for tendinitis and those who play certain sports like golf, bowling, swimming, tennis, basketball, baseball, and runners.

These next two issues are more on the extreme side but can happen if proper techniques aren’t used or an injury occurs.

Sprains

Sprains stretch or tear the ligament. Sprains usually occur in the ankle. Depending on the severity, you may need surgery. There are a few instances where you might get a sprain.

Ankle sprains happen when you walk or exercise on uneven surfaces or poor landing after jumping. Knee sprains happen when you pivot the knee during activities.

For example, if you turn the wrong way or too quickly while turning. You’ll see a lot of basketball and football players run into this issue and sometimes end up tearing their ACL in the process.

Wrist sprains happen most often when you fall. You tend to use your hands and wrists to break the fall and outstretch your hand causing a sprain.

Thumb sprains happen when you play certain sports like skiing or tennis. You overextend your thumb causing a sprain.

Dislocations

Dislocations are injuries to the joint. These types of joint injuries are severe and temporarily deforms and immobilize the joint.

You can get a dislocation anywhere, but the most common areas are the shoulders, fingers, knees, elbows, and hips.

Those that practice more contact sports like football, hockey, gymnastics, basketball, and volleyball tend to get dislocations.

However, they do sometimes happen with falls or motor vehicle accidents.

The good news with most joint pain conditions is that they are not only treatable but they’re preventable too.

Tips to Avoid Joint Pain

There are ways you can avoid joint pain in exercises.

Some ways include doing certain exercises that avoid pressure or strain on the joints and others include general tips that one should do regardless of age or fitness level.

When we suffer from joint pain, we often don’t think of the everyday life choices we make. These can range from poor nutrition to a job that requires us to sit or stand frequently.

By making small changes, you can see an improvement in your joints or a reduction in your pain.

1. Choose the Right Shoes

This sounds silly but did you know that some shoes can negatively affect your joints? High heel shoes at just three inches put stress on your feet and knees.

Rounded and squared shoes at the toe area allow for flexibility. You also want a rubber sole for more cushion and flexibility where the ball of your foot is.

2. Move Around

Avoid staying in one position for long periods of time. It fatigues your muscles and puts pressure on the joints to hold your weight or position.

Taking a break every 30 minutes or so to move around or stretch helps prevent aches, pains, strains, and stiffness.

3. Use Your Strongest Joints

Use your stronger joints and muscles to take the stress off smaller and weaker joints.

When you need to lift or carry items, use your arms instead of your hands or the palms of your hands. Keep items close to your body to lessen stress on the joints.

If possible, slide or push items over lifting them.

4. Eat A Healthy Diet

It sounds cliché but it’s true. Research has found that eating vegetables like romaine lettuce, broccoli, spinach, or kale can lessen bone loss as you age.

These vegetables are rich in calcium. Calcium is ideal for building strong and healthy bones.

In addition to vegetables, milk, yogurt, salmon, and calcium supplements all help to keep bones strong. According to research, vitamin C can help slow osteoarthritis too.

5. Consume Less Caffeine

While you may feel like you need caffeine to make it through your day, limit your intake.

A cup of coffee per day isn’t unhealthy but multiple cups or extremely high amounts of caffeine can weaken bones.

6. Ditch the Nicotine

Cigarettes are awful for your health in various ways.

The most common reasons talked about involve your lungs, but did you know it affects your bones too?

Smokers have a higher risk of fractures than nonsmokers. It also reduces bone mass.

7. Lose Weight

Weight loss can help improve your health in many ways. You’ll not only look better but feel better too. Each pound you put on causes four times more stress on your knees.

You don’t have to lose a lot of weight to reap the benefits.

Research has found that losing just 11 pounds can improve joint health and reduce your risk for osteoarthritis by up to 50%.

Exercise Tips

There are many types of exercise you can perform to improve and protect your joints. Many of them don’t require the use of a gym and can be done in everyday life.

Some are even free or utilize what you already have on hand.

1. Switch It Up

Only performing high-impact exercises like running or plyometrics are great for the body. However, they’re rough on the joints, especially if you don’t do anything else.

Try switching up with low-impact exercises like walking, swimming, or biking to give your joints a break.

2. Practice Strength-Building Exercises

Strength exercises help maintain and build joint health. You don’t want to do these exercises daily to avoid added stress to the muscles and joints.

You can do these exercises a few days per week and you’ll want to focus on your core, arms, legs, and back.

3. Practice Stretching-Related Exercises

Warmups before and after exercising is a must. It helps warm up your joints and muscles so they can perform the movement easier.

On days you don’t work out certain muscle groups, you still should stretch them like your arms, legs, back, and core.

If you’re not someone big on working out, you can benefit from types of exercise like Yoga or Pilates. These stretching-related exercises help improve your posture, flexibility, and health.

4. Get Range of Motion

Range of motion exercises helps the joints improve their health. These exercises relieve stiffness and allow for better movement in the joints.

They are as simple as rolling your shoulders or raising your arms over your head. You can also practice these exercises daily.

5. Get Outside

You don’t need to stick with an indoor routine. Everyday activities like gardening, lawn mowing, or dog walking can help.

Even body awareness exercises like Tai Chi can improve balance, posture, and coordination, and prevent falls.

Four Joint Protection Techniques

There are a few basic joint protection techniques or exercises you can try to strengthen your joints.

1. Pushup

One basic exercise is the pushup. This exercise helps protect your shoulders and elbows. To perform a pushup, start on the ground in a plank position.

Keep your hands shoulder-width apart. Your body should be in a straight line. Lower your chest to the floor as low as you can go.

Then extend your arms and push back to the starting position. If the standard pushup is too difficult, try to use your knees or pushup on a wall or bar.

2. Bodyweight Squat

The bodyweight squat is great for the knees, ankles, and hips. To perform a bodyweight squat, start standing in front of a bench or chair with your feet shoulder-width apart.

Lower your body to the seat of the bench or chair and touch it lightly. Then return to the standing position. Make sure you perform this exercise properly to avoid injury.

Ensure that your knees never extend past your toes and keep your knees in line with your feet.

3. Bird Dog

The plank limb lift or “bird dog” trains your core, glutes, and back muscles. This exercise stabilizes the whole body and allows for corrects body movements and control.

The bird dog is great for those with hypermobility or lower back issues. The bird dog has many variations as well if you’re finding one version too hard, you can try another.

To do a bird dog, get on all fours. Extend your opposite hand and foot from the body. Keep your shoulders and hips square to the floor and reach your fingertips forward and foot back.

Hold then bring the limbs in with your elbows toward your knee.

Some tips to perform the movement correctly include keeping your spine neutral, don’t lift your leg too high, don’t sink your chest toward the floor, draw your shoulder blades back and away from your ears, and move slowly.

4. Low Lunges

Low lunges are ideal for those who do a lot of sitting around. Sitting too much can cause tight hip flexors.

Lunges open up the hips. You can do this as part of your routine or as a cool-down stretch. Start with kneeling on a mat.

Step one foot forward with your knee bent. The other leg extended behind you.

Your front knee shouldn’t be bent more than 90-degrees. If it is, widen your legs until it’s less than 90-degrees.

Square off your hips and press forward until you feel the stretch. It’s important to note that you’re not feeling straight pain.

If you feel pain, don’t press as hard. You can reach overhead with your arms for a deeper stretch. Hold the position for 30 seconds then switch sides.

These joint protection techniques can be done virtually anywhere and anytime, even on your lunch break!

Final Thoughts

Joint pain can strike us at any age or at any time if we aren’t taking proper care of ourselves.

We sometimes get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life and it can interfere with our lifestyle and cause health problems.

However, there are joint protection techniques you can practice to protect the joints or alleviate pain.

Some techniques you may already have in your everyday routine. The great news is that most are free and take up only a little of your time.

Are you being hounded by your doctor to exercise more even though it’s painful?

You’re not alone.

Many seniors are encouraged to exercise despite painful physical limitations.

One of the smartest things you can do to cope is to find the best low impact exercise equipment.

Keep reading to learn more.

Here are the top low impact exercise equipment we’ll be reviewing:

• HCI Fitness Physio Step HXT 
• Gazelle Edge Glider
• Slim Cycle Stationary Bike
• Cubii JR1 Seated Under Desk Elliptical Machine
• Teeter FreeStep LT3 Recumbent Cross Trainer

Why Low Impact Exercise Is Important For Seniors

As people age, they tend to become more sedentary.

Most people are too busy and distracted to stick to a regular exercise program, and it’s not unusual to develop conditions, like arthritis, that make it painful and difficult to work out.

Nevertheless, exercise is critical for seniors.

That’s because it can do things for you like lower your blood pressure, prevent heart disease, improve bone density and increase mobility.

Clearly, exercise is vital to your health, but how do you participate when it’s painful?

What Is Low Impact Exercise?

The most basic definition of low impact exercise is that you always have one foot on the ground. That means no jumping, which is a lot easier on your joints.

Examples of low impact exercise include:

• Cycling
• Swimming
• Walking
• Elliptical machines
• Pilates
• Yoga

Low impact exercise is a great option for anyone who is recovering from an injury, needs to take it easy on their joints, wants to improve their balance or is working to build strength.

Personally, I like to do a combination of low impact and high impact training sessions. On high impact days, the intensity is dialed up, and I’m focused on cardio.

Low impact days are a chance to get stronger while also letting my joints rest and recover.

However, all of your exercise sessions can be low impact and still make a difference.

Low Impact Exercise Machines

Perhaps the easiest solution for regularly getting low impact exercise is to buy a suitable machine that you can keep at home.

How do you identify the best low impact exercise equipment?

It’s fairly easy when you keep a few things in mind.

Look for a Machine that Simulates Natural Movement

One of the reasons that elliptical machines and the like are so popular is that they closely mimic your natural walking or running stride.

This gives you a great workout while improving your range of motion.

All of this is accomplished without putting the extra pressure on your knees that naturally occurs when you normally walk or run.

Accordingly, you may find that your ability to walk in “real life” is improved through exercising with a machine that mimics natural movement.

Upper and Lower Body Fitness

The best low impact exercise equipment gives you the opportunity for a full-body workout.

This means that you may benefit from a machine that works the legs and glutes as well as the arms and shoulders.

Exercise machines may accomplish this with moving handles, the incorporation of resistance bands or some other mechanism.

Either way, it’s definitely desirable to look for a machine that gives you a gentle but effective full-body workout.

Get a Workout While Sitting

Do you have difficulty standing for a workout?

If so, then the best low impact exercise equipment for you may be a machine that allows you to sit.

Many of these machines come with an attached seat. When this is the case, look for a product with adequate padding, and ensure that the seat is adjustable for your height.

Adjustable Resistance

When you’ve found a great machine, you want to use it for a long time.

Accordingly, it’s critical that the machine has adjustable resistance so that your workouts can continue to challenge you over the long run.

A simple knob or button may be all that’s required to dial up the resistance.

Best Low Impact Exercise Equipment Reviews

HCI Fitness Physio Step HXT 

The most costly option, the HCI Fitness Physio Step HXT offers many bells and whistles. If it’s within your budget, it may be a solid option.

One prominent feature is the large LCD display where you can track time, speed, distance, calories and pulse. This helps you track improvement over time.

The oversized pedals have significant texture and a strap to keep your foot connected. This means that you’re unlikely to experience foot slippage.

The seat slides back and forth with a lever to adjust for height, which is perfect if multiple people are using the machine.

Operated by a poly drive belt, operation is quiet so that you won’t bother anyone.

You have the option of pedaling backward or forward so that you can target various muscle groups in a single workout.

Handles on this machine track your heart rate, making it possible to hit your target every time.

The pivoting handles can be adjusted for your comfort, and with 16 levels of resistance, you’ll have many opportunities to get stronger.

For a relatively expensive machine, this model lacks a holder for a phone or tablet, and the seat could use some additional padding.

Pros:

• Large LCD display
• Heart rate monitor
• Strap keeps feet secured to the pedals

Cons:

• No holder for phone or tablet
• Too little padding on the seat

Gazelle Edge Glider

Here’s an option for people who prefer to stand when exercising. The Gazelle Edge Glider is a straightforward machine that works well and can be effective.

This machine allows you to use your full range of motion. You can choose a slow walk or a fast run. This machine will switch from one to the next without skipping a beat.

This is because of the dual-action split suspension.

A simple computer is included for tracking calories burned, time, distance and speed.

The foot platforms are wide and have a non-skid surface to give you improved stability.

A pair of handlebars, which are equipped with high-density foam, are designed to help you get a full body workout.

This is a pretty solid machine that is relatively affordable. Nonetheless, it would be nice if it were made completely of metal parts.

Additionally, back lighting on the computer screen would be welcome, and this model is plagued by squeaks.

Pros:

• For people who prefer to stand for workouts
• Excellent stride range of motion
• Including a computer at this price is a major bonus

Cons:

• Could be improved with all-metal construction
• The computer needs back lighting
• Can be squeaky

Slim Cycle Stationary Bike

Here’s another option with an accessible price. Instead of being a stepper or a modified elliptical machine, the Slim Cycle Stationary Bike is a stationary bike, which may appeal to some.

The other thing that sets this option apart is the arm resistance bands, which allow you to do upper body exercises as you pedal.

This machine places you in a slightly recumbent position, which may be easier on your back and joints.

You have access to eight levels of resistance so that you can dial up the intensity when you’re ready.

The seat is covered in memory foam that’s two-and-a-half inches thick, which increases the comfort level so that you can exercise longer.

With a digital display, you can track speed, distance, calories and more. Oversized digits and buttons are easy to see.

With purchase of this machine, you get access to the Slim Cycle App and 10 free classes.

When you’re not using the Slim Cycle, it can be folded for storage.

Nonetheless, this machine is too small for tall people, and the back support isn’t adequate to provide proper recumbent support.

Moreover, the machine’s estimates for distance and speed seem inflated.

Pros:

• A nicely padded seat
• A bike rather than a stepper or elliptical machine
• Includes resistance bands for an upper body workout

Cons:

• Too small for tall users
• Insufficient back support
• Inflated numbers for speed and distance

Cubii JR1 Seated Under Desk Elliptical Machine

The Cubii JR1 Seated Under Desk Elliptical Machine is a selection that allows you to sit in any chair while you exercise. It’s sized to fit under a desk, but you could place it in front of a sofa or a dining room chair.

A mini elliptical, this machine makes it possible to exercise anywhere. That’s especially true because this exercise machine is quiet. You can read, watch television or carry on a conversation as you pedal.

Because it features a built-in LCD display, you can track distance, number of strides, calories burned and more.

Unfortunately, the screen is tiny, and it’s necessary to bend down to press the buttons. This may not be convenient or realistic for users with limited mobility.

The good news is that the Cubii can be connected to mobile apps, Apple HealthKit and Fitbit for easier tracking.

Reports indicate problems with the pedals developing stress fractures or detaching from the main unit.

Obviously, this is frustrating, but most users note that replacement parts are dispatched with speed.

Pros:

• Lets you exercise while sitting in your favorite chair
• Quiet enough to use while reading, watching TV or talking
• Connects to a variety of apps, smart devices

Cons:

• Tiny LCD screen
• Durability problems with pedals

Teeter FreeStep LT3 Recumbent Cross Trainer

The  Teeter FreeStep LT3 Recumbent Cross Trainer is a thoughtfully designed machine from the Teeter company, an organization that has dedicated itself to helping people lead healthier lives since 1981.

 Teeter FreeStep LT3 Recumbent Cross Trainer  features a middle-of-the-road, accessible price, but that isn’t the main reason to buy it.

It’s the technological innovation that goes into the product that makes it worthwhile.

Consider the UltraGlide bearings. These steel ball bearings ensure almost silent operation, making it possible for you to exercise whenever you like without disturbing anyone.

Another worthwhile feature is the transport wheels on the base. Thanks to these, you can easily maneuver this exercise machine.

The adjustability of the seat is another plus. With two mounting positions and the possibility of adjusting recline and height, this machine can be configured to suit anyone comfortably.

Also adjustable is the SureGrip handles. They are rubberized for comfort and secure grip, but the real value is that they can be placed in eight positions to vary your workout or help you to work around injuries.

Also noteworthy are the SoftStep pedals. These rubberized tread overlays ensure that your feet stay safely on the pedals.

Other helpful features include a water bottle holder and a media rack for your tablet or smartphone.

On the console display, you can track calories burned, speed, distance and time, taking the guesswork out of exercise sessions.

Easy to assemble, this recumbent step machine has been tested to ensure longevity.

Nonetheless, some people are bothered that adjusting the seat height requires removing a screw. A pull-out pin would be quicker and more efficient.

Pros:

• Accessible price for a physical therapy quality machine
• Lots of proprietary technology involved with features like the UltraGlide bearings
• Plenty of adjustability with the handles and seat

Cons:

• Seat height can only be adjusted with removal of a screw, which is a bit cumbersome

> > Check out our full review of the Teeter FreeStep LT3 Recumbent Cross Trainer here < <

Final Thoughts

After thoroughly reviewing each of these five products, my favorite by far is the  Teeter FreeStep LT3 Recumbent Cross Trainer. 

Those of you who are seeking the best low impact exercise equipment will find that it is durable, high-quality and effective.

It successfully delivers an efficient workout that is undoubtedly easy on your joints. If you have any mobility issues, then you should still be able to get a meaningful workout with this machine.

While it is true that the seat height can only be adjusted by removing and replacing a screw, this may not be much of a deterrent to many users. The quality of the workout that you will get will easily make up for any inconvenience.

It is really wonderful to be able to own this type of equipment in your home. That’s because this exercise machine is a great deal like the machines that you’ll find in a physical therapy clinic.

Accordingly, you may benefit from getting an effective, low-impact workout without ever leaving the house.

Luckily, the right kind of stretching can make you feel more comfortable.

Do you want to learn how to relieve your stress and tension during pregnancy?

Imagine feeling your best when walking back from the grocery store, working out, or simply lying on the bed. Good news: stretching exercises can help you achieve that.

In this article, we’ll go over the numerous benefits of stretching to help you stay healthy throughout your pregnancy. We’ll also give you some of the best simple stretches to enjoy.

But you’re probably wondering if stretching during pregnancy is safe for your baby. Don’t worry. This article will cover everything you need to know about the safety of the given exercises.

Ready to feel less sore?

Let’s dive in.

The Benefits of Stretching During Pregnancy

A daily stretching routine ensures a happy and healthy pregnancy. Why? Because it relaxes you, releases stress, and tones your muscles. Your body will be well prepared for the distress of childbirth.

Believe it or not, but some specific poses can even alleviate such common pregnancy aches, as hip pain and back soreness.

The best part is that stretching and other exercises can even make women experience less delivery pain. It increases the chances of natural childbirth. What could be better?

Here are some more benefits of a full-body stretching routine:

• Fewer leg cramps.
• Better sleep (try stretching before bed).
• Reduced tension in muscles.
• More energy.
• Better mood.
• Less ligament pain.
• Increased blood flow and circulation.
• Better digestion.

By now, you’ll have realized that getting flexible during expecting is great for your well-being.

Having a baby is beautiful, but it can also be very stressful. There’s a lot to think about. Soon you’ll need to find the best changing pad, the perfect stroller, etc.

Stretching can calm your mind and help you deal with the pressures of pregnancy more easily.

But what about the dangers? Are there any? Let’s take a closer look.

Stretching: Can It Hurt the Baby?

Full body stretching is the best exercise you can do during pregnancy. Nevertheless, all types of stretching can potentially hurt your baby if not done correctly.

Remember to talk with your doctor before starting any routine. And never push yourself too hard as this can cause problems in the development of the fetus.

Let’s look at the best tips for safe prenatal exercising:

• Keep your movements gentle and slow to avoid getting injured.
• Never bounce, as it can make you pull a muscle. You shouldn’t apply any force to hold your stretch.
• Stop immediately if you feel any pain.
• Drink plenty of water. Staying hydrated minimizes any issues that may come with exercising.
• Always keep the proper form to prevent hurting yourself.
• Exhale when stretching. Inhale when returning to starting position.

But what about stomach stretches? Aren’t they dangerous? Here’s the most important part: when doing stomach stretches, you should avoid lying on your back.

Why? Because it can press on the blood vessel that feeds the uterus. The result? Your baby can’t get enough nutrients for proper growth.

Other than that, bending at the waist is completely safe.

Warning: even when following all of our tips, there are stretches you should never do when expecting a child. Study the next part carefully.

The Stretches to Avoid

The simple truth is that if any of your stretches feel uncomfortable, you should keep away from them. Choose only the exercises you can perform easily.

Let us give you an example. If pointing your toes causes cramps in your calves, switch to simply flexing your feet.

Naturally, pregnancy is not the time to do any stretches with deep backbends. Also, stay clear from yoga poses that involve twisting your body to unnatural positions.

The good news is that during the first trimester, you can exercise pretty much like you normally do.

But unfortunately, as the pregnancy progresses, you can injure yourself more easily. So some adjustments are needed.

These are the top three poses to avoid:

• Any pose that includes a deep twist. These can restrict the blood flow to your womb.
• Poses that need you to crunch and involve intense abdominal work. Muscles in your abdomen are weakened during pregnancy.
• Lying on your stomach. That’s a no-brainer.

Make no mistake about it, as your belly grows, it will be increasingly difficult to adjust to the new center of gravity. Stretches that require balancing should be approached with extreme caution to prevent falling.

And now, let’s get to our top picks of useful exercises.

7 Easy Stretches to Try During Pregnancy

These include both dynamic and static stretching. What’s the difference? Dynamic ones keep balance in your body and increase your joints’ range of motion.

In static stretches, you get into a position and hold it for 30-45 seconds.

1. Stretching Lower Back

• Hold your head in line with your back.
• Rest on your knees and hands.
• Round your back a bit. And remember to pull the stomach in.
• Hold for thirty seconds. Then relax both the back and stomach.
• Go for ten repetitions.

2. Twisting the Waist

• Stand straight with feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees a bit.
• Raise both of your arms to shoulder height to the right side. Look over the left shoulder as your doing it. Hold.
• Move back carefully. And raise the arms to the left side. Look over the right shoulder.
• Repeat twice.

3. Stretching Neck

• This one you can do standing or sitting. Start by bending your head forward while tipping it to one side.
• If your head is tipped to the right side, pull your head slightly with the right hand.
• Try turning your head while doing it. It will isolate the neck muscles, and you will be able to stretch them better.

4. Stretching Hamstrings

• Point your feet and hips forward. Put one of your feet on a chair.
• Lean carefully forward. You should feel a pull on your thighs.
• If your chair is too high, you can start by stepping on something lower.

5. Stretching Chest

• Raise both of your arms to shoulder height on either side of a doorway.
• Take a little step forward, enough to feel a stretch in your chest.
• Hold for twenty seconds, then switch the leg.
• Repeat two times per side.

6. Stretching Calves

• Stretch out your arms in front of you. About 2 feet from a wall.
• Touch the wall with your palms by tilting forward. Remember to keep your heels on the floor.
• Hold for fifteen seconds.
• Push yourself slowly away from the wall. And repeat twice.

7. Stretching your hips

• Get on all fours.
• Inhale and arch your back, letting your belly drop.
• Exhale while rounding your upper back.
• Repeat four times.
• Hip stretching exercises are perfect for reducing ligament pain.

Final Thoughts

Now it’s your turn to include active stretching into your daily routine. It will not only help you maintain good health during your pregnancy but prepares you for labor as well.

Remember to check with your doctor first and then give it a go. It’s good for both you and the baby.

What did you think of our tips on how to stretch during pregnancy? Did we answer your most burning questions, or was there something left uncovered?

Leave comments below, and we’d love to hear from you. Your opinion is important to us!

Author’s Bio: 

Betti Wilson is an experienced personal trainer specializing in pregnancy fitness. She helps expecting mothers to stay healthy and strong to ensure the best possible delivery.

Being a mother of three kids herself, Betti also writes blog posts on pregnancy topics.

Her goal is to educate women all over the world on the best stress reduction practices during pregnancy.

One of the causes of joint pain is a loss of joint flexibility. Ironically, one of the causes of a loss of flexibility is joint pain.

Either way you look at it, it’s important to maintain your joint health. Taking the best joint supplement is a great way to do that.

Here are the top joint supplements we’ll be reviewing:

• Vimerson Health Glucosamine, Chondriotin, Tumeric, & MSM
• Move Free Joint Health Advanced Plus MSM
• Zenwise Health Advanced Strength Joint Support
• Bio Schwartz Premium Ultra Pure Turmeric Curcumin with BioPerine
• Performance Lab® Flex

Joints Age as You Age

It’s a fact of life. Your joints are as old as you are. They’re used, possibly abused, and in need of a “pick me up”.

At some point, you’ll probably start taking supplements to assist with other areas of your aging body, so you shouldn’t forget about your joint health while you’re at it.

There are quite a few things that happens to your joint as you age that can cause joint pain and loss of flexibility.

However, medical experts agree that the main reason this happens is due to a lack of exercise.

If you get started now, you may be able to combat this problem, especially with the help of the best joint supplement.

Cartilage and Your Joints

When you’re young and healthy, your joints don’t rub against each other.

This is due to cartilage and fluid between your joints that cushion them and allow them to move around freely.

As you age, the cartilage and fluid begin to diminish, leading to joint problems. If you don’t take care of yourself, this makes matters worse.

Taking joint supplements can slow the diminishment of cartilage and fluid.

Usually, once cartilage is gone, nothing can be done to bring it back. Scientists at the Stanford School of Medicine have recently had a breakthrough in the regeneration of cartilage in the joints.

The research was published in August of 2020. However, this is initial research that hasn’t gone through clinical trial yet.

It may be years or even decades before this research could be put to practical use. Even then, it could take a long time to regenerate the cartilage.

The best thing you can do right now is take care of your cartilage while you can.

Exercise to Improve your Joint Health

Performing a variety of weight-bearing exercises regularly is the best way to keep your joint health at its prime.

Exercises that you do for strength training are a big help. Balance, coordination, and stretching exercises are a must.

When you’re trying to maintain or improve your joint health, focusing on age-related health matters as a whole is best.

Reducing bone mass loss, increasing strength, and working on balance to prevent falls can all help with joint health.

After all, if your body is weak, this puts more stress on the joints which will cause the to break down faster.

How Joint Supplements Will Help

It may sound like all you need is exercise to keep up your joint health, but supplements will help you along the way.

If you get one of the best joint supplements, they’ll have ingredients that are very beneficial to your body. In fact, it may have a mix of the best ingredients.

The ingredients that are the most helpful include:

Glucosamine

This is an ingredient you’ll find in most joint health supplements because it is a building block of cartilage.

It’s the most studied ingredient for joint health by scientists and has been shown to have good results.

There are two types of glucosamine: glucosamine hydrochloride and glucosamine sulfate. The sulfate version has been shown to work better than the other.

Chondroitin

This is another building block of cartilage and it is found in joint health supplements almost as often as glucosamine. It’s been shown to significantly reduce joint pain by as much as 20 percent and to help reduce the progression of osteoarthritis.

Turmeric

This is an Asian spice that can help reduce inflammation that adds to joint pain. It contains a compound called curcumin which is the active substance. Studies show that it may be as effective as ibuprofen.

Boswellia

This is an herbal extract that’s found in many types of supplements. It’s sometimes called frankincense. It’s excellent at reducing inflammation.

Piperine

This is a compound found in black pepper. Piperine is responsible for the hot sensation of pepper. It has anti-inflammatory effects to help with joint pain.

Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM)

This is a chemical that also helps to reduce inflammation. MSM is naturally occurring in human, animals, and plants. However most joint supplements use a lab-produced version.

Now that you have a little background on joint health issues and how joint supplements can help you, the next section will help you sort out the best joint supplement for you.

Keep reading to learn about the top five joint supplements on the market.

Top Five Best Joint Supplement

Vimerson Health Glucosamine, Chondriotin, Tumeric, & MSM

Vimerson Health Glucosamine, Chondriotin, Tumeric, & MSM has the top four ingredients that was discussed in the previous section.

It has the best form of glucosamine and it also has methionine, a powerful antioxidant.

It’s a clean supplement. It’s non-GMO, hormone-free, soy-free, sugar-free, gluten-free, and free of yeast. It doesn’t have any preservatives or artificial flavors.

It was manufactured in the United States in a GMP-certified facility.

With 30 servings per bottle and a fair price, this is a great choice for a joint supplement.

Pros:

• Contains an antioxidant.
• Made in the U.S.
• Shelf life of three years.
• Made with a vegetarian capsule.

Cons:

• Taste is very strong.
• Boswellia may not be good for diabetics that suffer from hypoglycemia.

Move Free Joint Health Advanced Plus MSM

It’s important to include a great budget choice on the list and Move Free Joint Health Advanced Plus MSM is the best joint supplement in the budget category.

It may be a lower cost, but it still works well. Plus, it’s a better choice for diabetics because it doesn’t have boswellia.

The Move Free supplement has the same amount of glucosamine as the first supplement, but it’s the hydrochloride version.

That’s why they’re able to keep the price so low. However, it has 1500mg of MSM to offset this so it still makes up for lower quality glucosamine.

There are 40 servings per bottle. It’s not free of all the stuff that the first supplement was free of (gluten, soy, sugar, etc.) so if you’re looking for a clean product, look elsewhere.

However, if you just need something that’s inexpensive but still works well, this is an excellent choice.

Pros:

• Very affordable.
• It has calcium fructoborate which fights against inflexibility due to osteoarthritis.
• The best part is it works well!
• Pills are easy to swallow.

Cons:

• Uses the inferior glucosamine.
• Low amount of chondriotin.

Zenwise Health Advanced Strength Joint Support

Zenwise Health Advanced Strength Joint Support has a more-than-fair amount of all the good ingredients for joint health. It’s rightfully labelled as advanced strength.

It also happens to be the best value because you get 60 servings per bottle at around the same price as the other supplements.

Zenwise Health Advanced Strength Joint Support features the concentrated version of curcumin and hydraulic acid. It’s a great choice because the ingredients are to the point.

There’s no extras, no fillers, and no unneeded ingredients.

In a sense, it almost makes the product a bit boring. There’s nothing negative about the supplement, and nothing extra special to report because it’s exactly what it should be.

You probably heard that old saying, “no news is good news.” That applies here.

What’s important about this product is that it works and it works well.

There may not be any bells and whistles, but you don’t really need any when it comes to joint supplements.

Pros:

• It works really well.
• It has twice as many servings in one bottle as most other comparable supplements.
• It has a good amount of the most important ingredients. It’s not “watered-down” like some supplements.

Cons:

• There is nothing special or innovative about it.
• The pills are really big.

Bio Schwartz Premium Ultra Pure Turmeric Curcumin with BioPerine

Bio Schwartz Premium Ultra Pure Turmeric Curcumin with BioPerine stands out from the others on the list because it doesn’t use glucosamine or chondroitin.

That may sound strange since those are the two main ingredients for joint health supplements.

However, the Bio Schwartz formula uses tumeric as the main ingredient paired with a branded version of piperine known as BioPerine®.

This supplement has two types of tumeric powder. The one that is used the most is the root powder.

The second one is the extract powder which is what is usually used in joint supplements.

The root powder generally has a lower concentration of curcumin, about 3 to 5 percent. The extract is about 95% curcumin.

At first, this sounds like this supplement may be weak. However, that’s not the case. This is because it has an amount of piperine that is equivalent to both tumeric powders.

Therefore the potency and effectiveness is not lost.

Plus, BioPerine® has been shown to increase the absorption rate of the supplement by up to 2000 percent.

This is a low-priced option that has 30 servings per bottle. It’s a great choice if you prefer a purer supplement with less ingredients.

Pros:

• Made in the U.S. in a GMP-certified facility.
• It’s vegan, gluten-free, allergen-free, dairy-free, and non-GMO.
• It’s excellent at relieving joint pain.

Cons:

• Some people said it was so strong that it caused stomach discomfort (reactions vary).

Performance Lab® Flex

Performance Lab® is a company that is known for producing well-researched, scientifically accurate supplements.

One thing you can be sure of when it comes to Performance Lab® – their stuff works exactly like they say it does.

Performance Lab® Flex is different from the supplements on the list because it specifically targets flexibility issues rather than pain and inflammation relief.

Essentially, it targets the problem at the source instead of just relieving the symptoms. Of course, it also reduces pain so it’s truly an all-in-one supplement.

It’s amazing that Performance Lab® Flex uses the same ingredients as the other supplements, but less of them.

That’s because almost every ingredient they use is branded, meaning it’s made by a third party.

Every single company that Performance Lab® Flex works with produces the highest quality ingredients in the world, making Flex one of the best joint supplements on the market in the quality category.

One bottle comes with 30 servings. It’s a bit pricey, but you should expect to pay more for high-quality.

Pros:

• This is a premium supplement with the best ingredients in the world.
• The CurcuWIN® branded Turmeric root powder has a 20% curcumin concentration – four times the amount of typical supplements.
• It’s suitable for all diet types or lifestyle types; it’s completely natural.
• The capsules used provide prebiotics because they are made from fermented tapioca.

Cons:

• Expensive compared to others on the market.
• Can only be purchased in one place.
• Sells so fast that the company is often out of stock (this might be a pro depending on how you look at it).

Related: Check out our full review of Performance Lab® Flex here.

Final Thoughts the Best Joint Supplement

When you’re in pain, it’s easy to just choose anything that will provide relief.

However, you should find a way to slow yourself down and choose the best joint supplement rather than the first one you come across.

You’ll be glad you did later down the road.

All the supplements listed are amazing products, but if one had to be labelled as the best joint supplement of all, it would be Performance Lab® Flex.

Sure, it’s a bit expensive, but knowing that the supplement has the best of everything for a product that I will ingest is very attractive.

If you want more information about Performance Lab® Flex or you want to get your own bottle, click here.

A supplement that has a specific formulation can treat sore joints.

If you’re searching for the best supplement for healthy joints, any product with glucosamine is worth considering because glucosamine is a chemical compound that manages pain.

Here are the top supplements for healthy joints we’ll be reviewing:

• Vimerson Health Glucosamine with Chondroitin Turmeric & MSM
• Move Free Joint Health Advanced Plus MSM
• Zenwise Health Advanced Strength Joint Support
• Bio Schwartz Premium Ultra Pure Turmeric Curcumin with Bioperine
• Performance Lab® Flex

How to Pick the Best Supplement for Healthy Joints

When you’re shopping for a joint supplement online, do research whenever you find a deal by a company that isn’t well-known.

If you have doubts, search for deals on a reputable e-commerce site because a leading pharmacy will never advertise shady offers.

Pharmacies generate many sales every year since there is a constant need for pain-relief products.

The product lines cover multiple categories. Some supplements are very refined, and others have low-quality ingredients.

As a consumer, you must learn how to buy the best supplement for healthy joints so that you won’t waste your money.

Many people lose money because they make a buying decision based on false claims.

Typically, if a product makes promises that are hard to believe, it probably won’t produce those results.

If you inspect each product’s label, you’ll less likely purchase a low-quality inefficient joint supplement.

There are certain seals that you should look for. In terms of third-party organizations, the most important seals are by

• Consumer Lab
• NSL International
• U.S Pharmacophea

After you’ve purchased a great supplement, you should always do research to ensure that it’s totally safe to use in case there was a recall.

For this task, you’ll need to get the product’s batch and lot number. If a supplement has this number, the company will have no problems tracing it during a recall.

Types of Supplements for Healthy Joints

The best supplement for healthy joints will have an optimized formula.

If you know what to look for when you scan the labels, you’ll have no problems picking a proper supplement that can treat your specific symptoms.

Many joint supplements will contain glucosamine because your joints need it in order to build cartilage.

However, according to studies, there is no clear evidence that proves that glucosamine is the most effective treatment for osteoarthritis.

In terms of joint stiffness, glucosamine could relieve it.

Chondroitin is normally included with glucosamine in a joint supplement’s formula.

Most doctors believe that glucosamine treats sore cartilage more effectively when it’s paired with a supply of chondroitin.

Strategies For Taking Glucosamine-Based Supplements for Healthy Joints

In order to get the most out of any glucosamine-base joint supplement, you must know the best time to start a treatment, how to incorporate glucosamine with your meals, and why proper hydration matters.

When you reach a certain age, you’ll naturally lose glucosamine. Usually, the process starts when you’re 30, and it will continue beyond your 40s.

If you’re not getting enough glucosamine from your current diet, you should probably start taking a supplement when you’re 35 years old.

If possible, you should try to incorporate glucosamine in your diet. This won’t be a hassle because you’ll find the compound in very surprising places, and it’s a part of most recipes.

For example, in seafood dishes and chicken dishes, all edible cartilage is a great source of glucosamine.

Water is a building block for your joints because it keeps different tendons and cartilage lubricated.

When your bones are dry, they will dehydrated, which is a problem since dehydration can create inflammation inside your joints.

To keep your bones properly hydrated, you must drink six to eight ounces of water every day.

Precautions for Joint Supplements

Joint supplements work best when they don’t have a very complex formula. Usually, a complicated supplement with multiple ingredients will have higher safety risks.

The biggest concern is contamination. If you buy a supplement that has a proprietary blend or a combination of herbal blends, the risks of contamination will be higher.

When a new supplement successfully debuts, you should always do research as this is the only way to understand the hype.

Some brand new joint supplements sell quickly because of hype. If a new joint supplement with low-quality ingredients is selling well, hype probably fueled its success.

Top Joint Supplement Reviews

Vimerson Health Glucosamine with Chondroitin Turmeric & MSM Review

I always follow the trends when I search for the best supplement for healthy joints.

Everyone appreciates a natural formula, which is why Vimerson Health Glucosamine with Chondroitin Turmeric & MSM was on my radar.

This joint supplement is impressive because it doesn’t have soy, dairy, GMOs, or preservatives.

The Vimerson Health team cares about safety. This is another reason why I selected this joint supplement. Quality control matters to Vimerson Health, so every compound on each label serves a purpose.

The glucosamine enhances immune functions and strengthen cartilage. There are 150mg for chondroitin in the formula; they boost recovery efforts following a workout.

I take this supplement before challenging workout because I know that the MSM in its formula enhances tissue development.

The turmeric in the formula provides a different benefit; it helps ease joint pain after each workout.

Pros

• A refined all-natural formula: This supplement is gluten-free and sugar-free.
• Health benefits: It will treat more than your joint pain. A dose can improve your hair, nails, and skin.
• Wrinkle-fighting abilities: When taken often, the supplement could reduce the signs of ages.

Cons

• The dosage requirement: A regular dosage is four capsules.
• Possible side effects: The supplement could cause lightheadedness.

Move Free Joint Health Advanced Plus MSM Review

Move Free Joint is a very reputable brand, so the Move Free Joint Health Advanced Plus MSM got my attention.

While inspecting the box, I discovered that this supplement was clinically tested for joint comfort. As a consumer, the testing influenced me to buy this product.

The Move Free Joint Health Advanced Plus formula contains Uniflex.

Basically, Uniflex a mineral complex that represents this brand, and it can boost joint comfort within less than two weeks.

Normally, I drink a lot of water. However, on some occasions, I consume less water than I should.

This is why I greatly appreciate that Move Free Joint Health Advanced Plus supplies hyaluronic acid. The hyaluronic acid lubricates my joints when I’m not properly hydrated.

Pros

• Supports joint health: This particular joint supplement treats sore joints five ways. It provides flexibility, comfort, strength, lubrication, and mobility.
• Easy consumption: The tablets in the bottle are small, so they’re very easy to swallow.
• Eases achy joints: Thanks to a combination of chondroitin and glucosamine, one dose creates a cushioning effect that relieves joint pain.

Cons

• Could cause side effects: The formula may cause high blood pressure or a headache.
• Dosage: You must take three pills to get the maximum results.

Zenwise Health Advanced Strength Joint Support Review

As an athlete, I have to train regularly so that I can step up my game. When the workout sessions are lengthy, joint pain becomes an issue for me, which is why I often turn to supplements.

Zenwise Health Advanced Strength Joint Support helps me treat a variety of symptoms that arise after intense workouts. It treats discomfort, stiffness, and other problems that can limit range of motion.

I like using Zenwise Health Advanced on the go because its formula is specifically designed for people who have an active lifestyle.

When I try activities that challenge me to use my muscles, I usually feel very sore at the end of the day.

The curcumin in this joint supplement’s formula helps me achieve my fitness goals. Curcumin is a chemical compound that restores flexibility after intense workouts.

Zenwise Health Advanced could be the best supplement for healthy joints since the science backs up many claims.

The team at Zenwise Health constantly rise the bar in order to discover new breakthroughs.

This is a big reason why Zenwise Health Advanced Strength Joint Support is highly effective and safe.

Pros

• A balanced formula: Glucosamine, chondroitin, curcumin, hyaluronic acid, and MSM make up the formula. Together, these compounds relieve hip and knee pain.
• 1000mg of MSM: The MSM in every capsule protects and strengthens collagen in your joints.
• Great for mobility: This supplement can lubricate and cushion your joints with hyaluronic acid.

Cons

• Somewhat big capsules: Every capsule is fairly large.
• Usage requirement: The binders and fillers in the formula may not appeal to everyone.

Bio Schwartz Premium Ultra Pure Turmeric Curcumin with Bioperine Review

In terms of the effectiveness Bio Schwartz Premium Ultra Pure, the formula works wonders.

However, I purchased this product because safety is the first thing that I consider when I search for new supplements.

Bio Schwartz’s supplement is totally safe on multiple levels. When I opened the box, I discovered a neck band and a heat seal.

Both of these features prevent tampering, and this is greatly appreciated.

Bio Schwartz’s safety measures appealed to me, so I did more research, and I made another major discovery that reflects manufacturing.

Before brand new bottles of supplements leave the production line, workers analyze and inspect many samples.

They implement these procedures every 15 minutes in order to find and correct manufacturing flaws.

Pros

• Superb absorption: One dose supplies BioPerine pepper extract. This extract boosts absorption by more than 1000 percent.
• An advanced formula: Thanks to technological advancements, this supplement’s formulation is 100 natural.
• An all-round joint supplement: The gluten-free and allergen-free formula appeals to a large customer base.

Cons

• The dosage: You must take three capsules per serving.
• The Price: The price point is somewhat high.

Performance Lab® Flex Review

Most supplements that treat joint pain are provide good relief for a reasonable length of time. I highly recommend Performance Lab® Flex because it’s not a traditional supplement.

Thanks to an optimized formulation, it provides long-lasting relief after it kicks into action. After I jog around my neighborhood twice a week, my joints become somewhat stiff.

I like taking Performance Lab® Flex because it helps me recover. I appreciate how it helps me move more comfortably and how it eases my sore joints.

Pros

• Covers all bases: Performance Lab® Flex boosts flexibility and enhances shock absorption. It also treats cartilage, tendons, and ligaments.
• The herbs: The herbs in the formula boost pain relief.
• Protects and shields: This compounds protect your joints and accelerate recovery.

Cons

• Cost: The cost per serving is somewhat expensive.
• Serving: You must take two capsules per serving.

Related: Click here to read our full review of Performance Lab® Flex.

The Winner

A great supplement can treat a number of problems.

Performance Lab® Flex helps users stay comfortable and limber, and it caters to athletes, seniors, and anyone who experiences frequent or occasional joint pain.

This supplement is the winner because it has multiple selling points. It’s soy-free, gluten-free, vegan-friendly, and GMP certified.

If you’re ever going to switch supplements, you’ll need a great backup product. Typically, any joint supplement that’s included in this guide is a suitable choice.

If you want to do more research, review every label and claim, and never make a buying decision based on hype.

A good triathlon can leave you feeling invigorated, refreshed, and stronger, and more confident than you’ve ever felt before.

However, without the right energy to fuel you through, it can leave you feeling lethargic and just plain further away from your goal or why you chose to participate in a triathlon in the first place.

Therefore, if running a triathlon is in your future plans, then you need to also decide how you will feed your body to power through the race, which the best carb drink can help you do.

Loving a good long-distance race myself, I decided to research the various beverages for a triathlon and share what I learned to help make it easier for you to choose the best carbohydrate drink for you.

Here are the top carb drinks we’ll be reviewing:

• Genius Carbohydrate Powder 
• JYM Supplement Science Post JYM Fast-Digesting Carb 
• Vitargo Carbohydrate Powder
• NOW Sports Nutrition, Carbo Gain Powder 
• Performance Lab® SPORT Carb

About Carbohydrate Drinks for a Marathon

Carb drinks for a triathlon contain fast-hitting carbohydrates that the body uses to help keep you fully engaged during vigorous or long-lasting physical activity.

They work by increasing the concentration of sugar in the blood, as well as the sugar reserves in the muscles, which the body needs to keep you running at your peak.

These types of drinks are also formulated differently, depending on your carbohydrate requirements; therefore, you need to understand your particular needs to choose the right one for you.

How to Choose the Best Carb Drink for a Triathlon

Though each carb drink brand is different, the main ingredients most all have in common are carbohydrates and sodium.

Carbohydrates

These types of drinks are typically high in carbohydrates, which the muscles need to prolong their performance during extended activity, especially at faster paces.

In fact, to race your best, experts suggest consuming between 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrates for each hour of exercise.

The carbohydrate sources found in triathlon beverages are usually derived from some form of sugar, such as maltodextrin, glucose, sucrose, or fructose, or it can contain a combination of these sugars for a greater impact.

Sodium /Electrolytes

Sodium is an essential mineral the body needs to maintain balanced fluid levels, which helps keep your body’s pH levels in check, as well as also helps keep the cells, brain, muscles, and heart functioning properly.

However, when you sweat, sodium is depleted from your body, in which case, if it gets too low while running, it can cause you to experience hyperthermia, which can lead to nausea, muscle spasms, vomiting, and more.

Hence, many carbohydrate drinks for a triathlon also include electrolytes to replenish the sodium lost during intense sweating. These electrolytes are typically present in the form of potassium, calcium, chloride, phosphate, magnesium, or sodium.

Other Ingredients

Some carb drinks also contain protein, which research shows can also help increase endurance performance during triathlons, especially when taken the same day.

Caffeine is another additional ingredient sometimes found in carb drinks, which increases adrenaline, as well as neuron activity throughout the central nervous system and brain, thus making you feel more energized to run longer.

Various vitamins, such as B vitamins, vitamin C, and vitamin D, which research also shows is important during high endurance activities, are also sometimes added to endurance drinks for added benefits.

What are the Advantages/Benefits of Carb Drinks for a Triathlon?

Carb beverages for a triathlon provide many benefits, including helps replenish your body with fluids and electrolytes lost during intense exercise, as opposed to just drinking water, which does not contain electrolytes and can thus leave you feeling nauseous, fatigued, and unable to continue.

They also help slow down how quickly your liver and muscles deplete their own carbohydrate stores, which enables you to last longer.

The electrolytes in these drinks also help with proper muscle recovery when consumed post-workout.

Things to Look For/Attributes That Differentiate These Products

Taste

Beverages that contain electrolytes can sometimes produce a sodium taste that can make them unpleasant to drink. Therefore, you want to select a product formulated in a flavor you like to help make it easier to consume throughout your run.

Carbohydrate Source/Amount

Carbohydrate beverages for a triathlon that contain fructose along with glucose have been shown to improve carbohydrate absorption and oxidation for improved performance as opposed to drinks formulated with other sugars.

You should also divide the number of carbohydrate grams in the product by the serving size to ensure it has at least a 6 percent, but no more than 8 percent, carbohydrate concentration, which is needed for the best absorption of sugar and water. Anymore than this can increase the risk of cramping and more.

Sodium Amount

Be sure your chosen drink also has at least 110mg of sodium per 8-ounce serving for a total of 450mg of sodium per hour, which research shows is the minimum amount needed to slow the loss of sodium concentration in the plasma during prolonged exercise.

However, if you plan to run and sweat more than 3 hours, experts suggest choosing a carbohydrate product with a higher amount of sodium and/or potassium.

What’s the Best Way to Use Carb Drinks for a Triathlon?

Carb drinks for a triathlon contain lots of sugar, which raises various concerns with some individuals.

One concern is the excessive calories it can rack up, which can lead to weight gain, while others are concerned with the insulin spike it provides that could possibly lead to a sugar crash later.

However, according to a piece published by Harvard’s School of Health, provided carbohydrate drinks are used the right way, by overall generally healthy individuals, they pose no serious threats to your weight or your health.

One guideline they recommend to use carbohydrate drinks properly includes only consuming these types of beverages if you are running for at least 60 minutes or more, during which time you should only ingest between 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrates per hour.

Otherwise, if you are running for less than that, they recommend just drinking water to avoid adding excess calories to your diet that won’t have sufficient time to burn off and instead be stored as fat, which can lead to weight gain.

Experts also recommend simply taking one big gulp of the drink every 15-20 minutes throughout your run for sustained energy without the crash.

They also suggest diluting highly concentrated sugary drinks with water, as well as also sipping water in between consuming carbohydrate beverages, to help avoid quick insulin spikes.

You should also resist the temptation to consume sugar-free carb drinks during your run to help cut calories because since they do not contain sugar, they won’t provide the burst of energy or glycogen replenishment you need to push through.

Prerequisites/Precautions for Using This Type of Product

Reports show that the additional sugar, sodium, and calories in triathlon drinks pose certain health risks in most people, such as an increased risk of weight gain, obesity, and diabetes.

Therefore, if you are not a serious athlete involved in prolonged or vigorous activities whose body can handle the extra sugar and calories, then you may want to avoid using carbohydrate beverages.

Some people may also experience bloating, gas, and other stomach issues when consuming certain sugars found in different products, so it is important to try various drinks to determine the best one for you.

However, avoid experimenting with new drinks during the event to avoid surprises.

Likewise, high levels of sugar, which can occur from consuming more than 60 grams of carbohydrates per hour or from using overconcentrated powders or mixes, can also cause gastrointestinal issues in some individuals, so be sure to stick to the recommended amount of carbohydrates per hour to avoid irritating your insides.

If your chosen drink also contains caffeine, beware that it can cause various side effects, including jitteriness, especially if you are sensitive to it.

Reviews For The Best Carb Drink 

Genius Carbohydrate Powder 

Genius Carbohydrate Powder is a low-glycemic, maltodextrin and glucose combination energy source that helps users avoid the unnatural peaks in blood-sugar, thus providing a healthier choice over other products that contain simple carbohydrates.

Its nutrition source also enables greater nitrous oxide production for mass muscle building and recovery, and it is also a low osmolality concentration for fast gastric emptying and less bloating.

Pros:

• It triggers little insulin and blood sugar response.
• It prevents sugar crash.
• It contains fast-acting glucose.
• It does not contain caffeine.
• it is tested by a third party.

Cons:

• It doesn’t contain electrolytes.
• It is unflavored.

JYM Supplement Science Post JYM Fast-Digesting Carb 

JYM Supplement Science Post JYM Fast-Digesting Carb is a dextrose based formula that quickly replenishes muscles glycogen stores after vigorous exercise for increased muscle growth and recovery.

It is also versatile, so it can be used in combination with other workout products for added BCAAs support.

Pros:

• It quickly restores glycogen levels with fast-acting dextrose.
• When used post workout, it increases the uptake of beta alanine, creatine, and carnitine by the muscle cells.
• It can be used with other carb products to customize your post workout according to your goals.
• It tastes great.

Cons:

• It does not contain BCAAs
• It must be mixed with other Post Jym products for maximum results.

Vitargo Carbohydrate Powder

Vitargo Carbohydrate Powder is a workout carb supplement that can be used pre or post-workout for maximum glycogen recovery, as well as improved endurance, mass muscle gain, and recovery.

And it does so without sugar. Instead, its key ingredient is fractionated barley amylopectin, which has been shown to replenish muscle glycogen stores faster than sugar.

It is also safe to stack with other workout supplements.

Pros:

• It is a pre fuel, refuel, and recovery product.
• It’s a clean carb source.
• It works 2.3 times faster than similar products.
• It is clinically tested.
• It has a 100 percent money back guarantee.

Cons:

• It may clump when mixed.
• It’s a bit pricey compared to similar products.

NOW Sports Nutrition, Carbo Gain Powder 

NOW Sports Nutrition, Carbo Gain Powder is a pure maltodextrin based carb product that can be used for energy production both before and during your workout, as well as after for quick muscle recovery.

It is also available in 8-pound and 12-pound packages for maximum value.

Pros:

• The pure maltodextrin makes it easy for the body to digest.
• It works well as a weight gainer.
• It stacks well with other workout products.
• It is GMP quality assured.

Cons:

• It is unflavored.
• It does not contain electrolytes.

Performance Lab® SPORT Carb

If you’re serious about training, competitions, and races, then Performance Lab® SPORT Carb is perfect for you. It absorbs quickly and is a fast source of energy for those performing explosive movements or are engaged in endurance activities like long-distance swimming, running, or cycling – activities all found in a triathlon.

Because it has a sustained release of two hours, this carb supplement can go the distance with you. In addition, it can be taken after a workout or event to reload depleted muscle stores so that your muscles recover faster.

Pros:

• 30-day performance promise from the company
• no caffeine
• clean
• good taste

Cons:

• Pricey
• Only available on vendor’s website

Related: Click here to read our full review of Performance Lab® SPORT Carb

Final Thoughts

When it comes to a carb drink that does it all, Performance Lab® SPORT Carb is the clear winner, and it does so using clean ingredients, which helps prevent energy crashes, stomach issues, and other physiological issues you don’t need while pushing to the finish line.

It is also research-proven by scientists and experts to increase performance and trusted by elite athletes in all sports, as well as some Olympians.

Performance Lab® SPORT Carb  is also safe enough to be used in combination with other supplements, such as electrolyte powders and protein powders, for a more complete triathlon drink.

In short, this is the best carb drink for people striving to improve their triathlon performance and well-being by giving their bodies a cleaner source of fuel.

• Joint pain can affect any age group or activity level
• Common causes of joint pain are due to activity, injury, or simply old age
• There are various ways to address your joint pain depending on the severity of your joint pain – but always remember to consult with a medical professional before doing so

Looking for a supplement that supports smooth, comfortable movement and protects against long-term bone-grinding damage? We recommend this one.

I’ve been swimming for exercise for most of my life as a competitive swimmer and now simply for exercise.

Last year I suffered from tendinitis, which more specifically for my case – swimmer’s shoulder.

Due to this annoying problem, I needed joint relief. Fortunately, I discovered ways to fix some of the joint issues I had.

In this article, I’ll define joints, joint pain, and then I’ll list and explain 10 instant solutions to fixing your joint pain.

What Are Joints?

Of course, you’ve heard of the word “joints,” but do you know exactly what they are? Joints hold two bones together.

They are located at the bones’ ends and allow for your skeleton to move.

What is Joint Pain?

When injury or disease interferes with joints, you can experience joint pain, ranging from minor to serious.

Various conditions can lead to joint pain. To explain, here are four common ones:

Tendinitis

This is an inflammation of the tendon. A tendon is a fibrous cord attached to a bone or a muscle. When you experience tendinitis, you feel pain right outside the joint.

You can feel this pain around your knees, shoulders, wrists, elbows, and heels. As I mentioned above, when I experienced tendinitis it was in the form of swimmer’s shoulder.

However, it can also manifest itself as tennis elbow, pitcher’s shoulder, golfer’s elbow, etc.

Therefore, vigorous participation in competitive sports, such as baseball, swimming, tennis, basketball, etc., can lead to tendinitis.

Age, or growing older, can lead to it, as well.

For example, I rarely experienced swimmer’s shoulder when I was younger, but it happened more than once as I grew older.

Bursitis

Bursitis is a painful condition where small sacs filled with fluid, known as bursae, are inflamed. Bursae put a cushion around tendons, bones, and muscles near your joints.

This condition occurs mostly in areas that receive repeated motion, such as the shoulder, hip, and elbow. However, it can also affect the knee, heel, and the base of the big toe.

Gout

Gout is a condition created by a buildup of uric acid, a waste byproduct. The buildup creates intense pain in your feet and toes joints, especially your big toe.

Failure to treat gout can lead to chronic gout, which can permanently damage your joints.

Middle-aged men and women, alcoholics, and those with high blood pressure, thyroid disease, kidney disease, etc., are at risk.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disorder. It can affect your joints, but it can also affect other body parts such as your eyes, lungs, heart, skin, etc.

It affects the lining of your joints, which causes swelling and pain. Worst case scenario is that it can result in joint deformity and bone erosion, such as osteoporosis.

10 Instant Solutions to Fixing Your Joint Pain

Joint pain is annoying to deal with, but you can cure it in most situations.

Now that we’ve discussed joint pain and examples of joint pain, here are 10 instant solutions for joint relief.

1. Medication – Over-the-counter and prescription

The traditional or conventional ways to deal with joint pain is with over-the-counter or prescription medication.

Over-the-counter medicines, such as over-the-counter acetaminophen for this kind of pain, comes in many brands.

You can find such medication at drug stores, big retail corporations, online, etc. Purchasing over-the-counter medication is done without a doctor’s advisement.

However, it’s always advised to get counsel from a doctor if the pain you’re experiencing is excruciating and consistent.

Prescription medication is legally given only by a medical professional. This medication tends to be much stronger than the over-the-counter variety.

For example, Vicodin or Percocet are two forms of prescription pain medication.

The dangers of such medication are the possibility of side-effects, addiction, and withdrawal.

In fact, in the United States, addiction to prescription medication has become an epidemic in some regions of the country.

2. Topical Solutions

A way to treat joint pain without having to consume medication orally and without the worry of addiction or withdrawal is with a topical solution.

You take these solutions and spread them directly on the area where you are experiencing pain.

Today, these topical solutions contain improved ingredients to address the pain, such as menthol and camphor, which block pain sensations.

They are typically in the form of over-the-counter medication and are not as strong as a prescription.

3. Cortisone Injections

Another way to get joint relief is with cortisone shots. These are shots that will remove inflammation and pain in some body regions.

Cortisone injections are typically put into the knee, shoulder, ankle, hip, etc.

A cortisone injection is administrated by a medical professional. Therefore, you would typically get one in your doctor’s office.

There are potential side effects with cortisone injections.

Thus, the number of shots you can get is limited, and this kind of shot is often administered no more than four times a year.

4. Hot and Cold

Another traditional way to treat pain, without the danger of side effects, is by alternating hot and cold treatment on painful joints.

Cold Therapy for Joint Pain

Using cold therapy helps decrease blood flow, reducing the pain and swelling. There are various ways to apply cold therapy.

You can purchase an ice pack, for example. However, you can also take a bag of frozen peas and use it.

(When I had swimmer’s shoulder, I found that a bag of cold peas wrapped around my shoulder easier.

Plus, once I was done using the bag for pain, I still had the peas I could cook and eat!)

Heat Therapy for Joint Pain

Using heat therapy helps increase the blood flow, which helps to relax muscles, stimulate blood flow, improve circulation, reduce pain, and reduce stiffness.

Heat therapy can be heating pads, a hot bath, etc.

So how should you alternate between hot and cold therapy? You can warm up your joints in the morning with hot therapy, such as a hot bath.

Then later in the day, apply cold therapy to joints to reduce swelling and pain.

5. Massage

An alternative way to deal with joint pain is through massage.

It’s a method found in ancient civilizations in China, Greece, India, etc. It is another method that can be good for the body and that has few to no side effects.

Massage comes in various forms such as Swedish massage, deep massage, sports massage, etc. I’ve had many massages in my life given to me at spas, and for me, it’s been beneficial.

In other words, the massage therapists have been able to reduce or remove my pain through their manipulation of my muscles by pressing and rubbing.

Massage has been shown to not only reduce pain but also increase relaxation, improve circulation, reduce stress, etc.

6. Acupuncture

Like massage, acupuncture is an ancient method.

Originating out of China, acupuncture is the process of inserting tiny needles to specific areas of the body to restore qi’s flow (life force), energy, relaxation, and healing.

There are approximately 1,000 acupuncture points on the body.

Acupuncture is still a bit mysterious, but one of the theories is that the practice stimulates the release of endorphins, representing our body’s natural pain-relieving chemicals.

An acupuncturist applies acupuncture.

However, it’s important to note that even though this is an alternative procedure, in the United States, for example, at least 22 states require a person to be certified to practice acupuncture.

7. Lose Weight

Unfortunately, America has an obesity problem.

In fact, over 40 percent of Americans are obese, and the amount of obese people has increased by approximately 12 percent since 1999.

Obesity is associated with a boatload of bad conditions, including heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, joint pain, and more.

Therefore, if you are overweight or obese, losing weight by eating a balanced diet and exercising can reduce your joint pain.

A word about diet, a Mediterranean diet, for example, is a healthy diet that can help you lose weight and get healthy and fit.

This kind of diet includes antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, oily fish, olive oil, almonds, etc. These help to reduce joint pain.

8. Exercise

Along with eating a healthy diet, exercise is good for keeping the joints healthy. Of course, overuse of a joint resulting in a condition such as swimmer’s shoulder is not the goal.

The goal is to keep the joints moving and in healthy working older.

If you spend your life on the couch watching TV, you’re not moving your joints, and you’re not contributing to their movement.

When you exercise, you improve the performance of your joints and benefit from other things that exercise gives you, such as a reduction in depression and improvement in sleep.

Some form of exercise is indeed gentler on joints than other exercises such as yoga, walking, and swimming. Swimming, for example, is gentle on the joints.

This is because it’s a low-impact exercise. Swimming in the water’s buoyancy puts less impact on our skeletons.

Now, if you’re a competitive swimmer like I used to be, and you’re practicing three to four hours a day, that is not a typical schedule.

In other words, your arms and legs are moving more than someone who is swimming for a half-hour a day for exercise.

Swimmer’s shoulder is typical for competitive swimmers who are always moving their shoulders for hours and hours.

9. Physical Therapy

For those with acute joint pain, chances are you’ll be sent to a physical therapist. It’s also common for medical doctors to refer individuals to physical therapists for further treatment.

A physical therapist is a trained, licensed professional who will survey your condition and then conclude what needs to be done to restore movement and reduce pain.

These solutions will include specific stretches and movements. Sometimes it can be painful to go through these stretches and moves, depending on the condition.

However, the goal is to restore you to functionality.

Physical therapy is typical for joint pain, sports injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis, etc. Some physical therapists or PTs specialize in specific individuals, such as specializing in athletes or specializing in the elderly.

Physical therapists are found in hospitals, clinics, sports teams, etc.

10. Rest

Of course, rest is one of the best ways to treat joint pain. When I had swimmer’s shoulder, I didn’t continue swimming right away.

I rested my shoulder for a few days. When you rest your joints during pain, you allow your body to repair itself naturally and prepare for a return to movement.

Final Thoughts

These 10 solutions for joint relief are ways to rid yourself of the pain that can happen to your joints. Many of these are useful to incorporate together.

For example, you injure your joints, so you incorporate hot and cold therapy. While you are focused on hot and cold treatment, you also give your joints a rest from your exercise.

At the same time, you’ve decided that you need to improve your diet by incorporating a healthier diet, such as a Mediterranean diet.

You also schedule a few massage treatments to help your joints return to functionality.

Of course, if your joint pain is severe, a physician, with your approval, may decide to put you on medication.

Whether you choose a traditional or alternative form of treatment is a personal choice.

If you’re looking for a way to soothe and protect achy joints that’s easy-on-the-stomach, we recommend this supplement.

• Low joint fluid affects all ages and health levels
• Low joint fluid can not only cause pain or stiffness, but affect your mobility and potentially damage cartilage

Looking for a supplement that supports smooth, comfortable movement and protects against long-term bone-grinding damage? We recommend this one.

Have you ever exercised hard and ended up with a sore knee the next day? Or have you experienced swelling and pain in your joints seemingly without reason?

You may have synovitis or low joint fluid. How do you know if it’s an injury or something more? Can you treat it?

Fortunately, you can not only diagnose and treat synovitis, but you can also prevent it too.

What Causes Low Joint Fluid

There are a few reasons why one might suffer from low joint fluid or synovium. It’s not something that discriminates with age or health.

Many healthy people can also suffer from this issue. However, it’s generally a condition that’s not primary.

Sometimes it’s caused by something as simple as an injury to the joint or as serious as cancer.

For those that are healthy, it’s primarily caused by overuse of the joint. For example, if you’re an athlete or work a job that requires you to lift or squat, you may have joint issues.

However, it is more prone to those that aren’t healthy. People who have inflammatory arthritis often suffer from an overgrowth of the synovium.

This is an abnormal immune response, and the body ends up misidentifying the natural cartilage and attacks it.

The loss of cartilage damages the surface of the joint and can lead to stiffness and pain found in all types of arthritis.

The most common type of arthritis, osteoarthritis, doesn’t have an inflammatory response.

Other types of joint conditions like gout, bleeding disorders, and infections can change the way your joint fluid looks and feels.

The low joint fluid doesn’t just cause pain or stiffness. It can affect your mobility and cause damage to your cartilage.

Some conditions synovitis has been linked to include:

• Injury
• Overuse
• Poor support
• Juvenile arthritis
• Gout
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Osteoarthritis
• Rheumatic fever
• Psoriatic arthritis
• Cancer
• Lupus
• Infections
• Tuberculosis

What Is Synovitis?

Synovitis occurs when the synovium of a joint becomes inflamed or swollen. Your joints are encased in connective tissue inside the joint capsule.

This connective tissue is called the stratum synoviale or synovial stratum.

The joint capsule (the articular capsule) surrounds joints like the shoulder, wrist, elbow, hand, knee, foot, and ankle.

It has a tough outer layer called the fibrous stratum and a soft inside layer called the synovium.

Contained in both layers lies the synovial fluid. This fluid is viscous and lubricates the joints to protect them and reduce friction when you perform a movement.

Types of Synovitis

As it was mentioned earlier, anyone can suffer from joint problems, even children. Children often suffer from transient synovitis.

Transient synovitis typically happens after a child has experienced a viral infection. The virus settles in the fluid that surrounds the joints.

This can cause joint pain, limping, or in some cases immobility. The symptoms can appear and reappear suddenly and change places.

This condition often puts people in a panic because you develop a low-grade fever or none but suddenly have pain and can’t walk.

For some reason, this condition occurs in boys twice as often as girls. It also affects the right side of the body.

The only way to test for transient synovitis is from X-rays. Other tests rule out more severe types of synovitis like septic synovitis, and other conditions like arthritis and injuries.

The good news is that transient synovitis clears within a week or two, and patients don’t suffer from long-term side effects.

It’s recommended that if your child alerts you to joint pain or immobility, to seek a specialist or pediatrician.

Chronic synovitis is often referred to as “water on the knee.” It’s inflammation that reoccurs after an acute synovitis episode.

Post-traumatic synovitis occurs from overuse or injury to the joint. Your movements combined with weight-bearing causes the synovium to inflame.

This adds to the risk of further injury and causes pain, swelling, tenderness, and immobility of the joint.

The most severe type of synovitis is called pigmented villonodular synovitis or PVNS. This type affects the knee and hip joints.

However, this condition causes the synovial membrane to grow into a benign tumor. Your joints can lock up while you try to move or walk.

It starts with slow or rapid swelling and that happens suddenly but comes and goes. It’s important that you seek medical attention immediately and not self-treat this condition.

Despite the severity, this type of synovitis is very rare.

Symptoms

There are two sets of symptoms for synovitis: subclinical and active. Subclinical synovitis inflamed the lining of the joint and isn’t detectable during an initial physical exam.

This type of synovitis is found through an MRI or ultrasound.

Active synovitis refers to the inflammation, warmth, or redness that’s visible during a physical exam.

When synovitis gets to the point where it’s observable during an exam, permanent joint damage becomes the concern.

The main symptom of synovitis is joint pain. The pain is often more severe than thought because there’s no outward damage or appearance that it’s damaged.

You may not have swelling or any signs of injury except for pain. Some may have swelling, warmth, redness, or difficulty moving the joint.

You may have “popping” or “clicking” sensations in your joint when you move it or pressure.

Some people develop nodules or hard lumps around the affected area. Your joint might have dysfunction or cartilage erosion.

This can lead to osteoarthritis.

Symptoms that aren’t outwardly noticed are thickening of the tissue, increased blood flow to the area, and increased fluid production.

How to Diagnose and Treat Synovitis

Before you begin a treatment plan, you’ve to get diagnosed with a low joint fluid issue. When you go to a doctor or specialist, they’ll perform a physical exam first.

Then, they’ll order a synovial fluid analysis. Synovial fluid analysis is a series of tests that checks for medical issues that can affect the joints.

Usually, there are three types of tests conducted. The first test involves an exam of the fluid to check its color and thickness.

The second test uses chemicals to see the changes in the fluid’s chemical makeup. The third test uses microscopes to look for bacteria, foreign substances, or crystals.

A synovial fluid analysis could determine if you have osteoarthritis, gout, rheumatoid arthritis, joint effusion, joint infection, or bleeding disorder.

Test for Synovitis

When you need a fluid analysis, your doctor will numb the area (joint) with a local anesthetic. They will put a needle in the area and take a sample of fluid.

No set amount of fluid’s taken from you until it’s determined how many tests you’ll need or how big the joint is.

Your sample goes to the lab where a technician takes a closer look at it. Your fluid will undergo an examination of various changes.

These changes include:

• A change in color or thickness
• Proteins, uric acid, and glucose
• Lactic dehydrogenase (an enzyme that can increase inflammation)
• Crystals
• Your red and white blood cells
• Bacteria, viruses, and foreign substances

To determine if you have abnormal synovial fluid, your results will show a few issues. However, first, we will discuss what normal synovial fluid looks like.

Normal synovial fluid looks clear or pale yellow, stringy, and free of bacteria or foreign substances. Abnormal results will show various fluid changes. These changes include:

• Cloudy or thick fluid.
• High uric acid or crystals could indicate gout.
• A high white blood cell count could indicate an infection or medical problem.
• A high red blood cell count could indicate an injury, blood in the joint, or bleeding disorders.
• Lactic dehydrogenase

You may also have to undergo other tests if your doctor or specialist thinks your joint issues stem from another problem.

Your doctor might want to determine where the source of your pain is and if it’s from inside the joint (synovitis) or inflamed tendons (tendonitis).

You may have to undergo an MRI or an ultrasound of your musculoskeletal problem areas.

Treatment

There are a few ways to treat synovitis. However, there is no cure. The current treatments range from drugs to a procedure.

Many patients that have this disorder take anti-inflammatory medicines and rest.

These oral drugs could include steroids or DMARDs (disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs). In severe cases, you might have to take steroid injections.

Physical therapy complimentary to drug therapy may help too.

Some patients opt for physical therapy to help strengthen their joints and muscles, reduce pain, and prevent motion loss in the affected joint.

Some patients don’t respond well to either of these treatments. If they don’t, you may have to see an orthopedic surgeon for a procedure called a synovectomy.

This procedure removes most of your synovium. This can relieve pain, stiffness, and in some cases restore mobility.

Some may need further inventions like radionuclide synovectomy or arthroscopic synovectomy.

A radionuclide synovectomy may be considered invasive. It requires a radioactive substance to be injected into the affected joint.

This low-level radiation melts the inflamed synovium away. Many patients have concerns with this treatment because of the radiation.

A surgical intervention called arthroscopic synovectomy can help relieve symptoms and issues but is often used when damage to the joint is already present.

This surgery removes the inflamed part of the synovial membrane.

Unfortunately, this surgery can’t help restore your range of motion or improve it. But it can help with further joint damage and bleeding.

Prevention of Synovium

There are some ways you can prevent synovium. One obvious reason, if you’re a healthy person, is to ensure you get the proper amount of rest needed in between workouts.

Also, take proper care in recovery times. If you can, try to avoid stress on the joints like running.

Exercise isn’t something that you should avoid. But when you work out, you want to partake in certain exercises.

Strengthening exercises will help support your muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Along with your workouts, you want the right type of shoes.

Your shoes should have cushioning at the heel or orthotic inserts.

Your diet can help with prevention too. Stay hydrated and drink the recommended eight cups of water a day (or more depending on how active you are).

Proper hydration will help your body function.

You want to make sure your diet doesn’t contain a bunch of junk or unhealthy foods. Diets rich in protein will help your muscles grow stronger and recover faster.

Foods that contain anti-inflammatory properties like fruits and dark leafy vegetables can help with the swelling of the joints.

They’re also rich in antioxidants that help with synovial fluid levels. Nuts, seeds, and protein high in omega-3s help keep the joints healthy and your fluid healthy too.

Foods high in allicin (garlic, onions, fermented foods) don’t just help your digestive system. They aid in your joint’s health.

While these are not guaranteed to totally prevent synovitis. They can help reduce your risk of developing it.

Final Thoughts

Joint issues can affect anyone regardless of their age. Some of these issues are relieved by rest, but others may require further medical intervention.

However, you don’t have to suffer from joint pain or immobility. There are ways you can treat your low joint fluid or synovitis, should you have it.

Most of the treatments are invasive and could help restore your movement or just relieve the pain you feel on an everyday basis.

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