Osteoarthritis - reduce your pain

 Good Morning,

I hope that you are getting out walking and enjoying this beautiful weather that we are having in Toronto.  There was a great article in October's Nutrition Action magazine all about how to prevent and ease the pain of osteoarthritis.  The cause of osteoarthritis is the break down of the cartilage that cushions where bones meet at a joint which leads to pain and stiffness.

The main causes of the condition are:

1. Weight-  a study in Norway tracked 1,600 people with healthy knees for 10 years and found that overweight or obese people were 2 to 3 times more likely to have osteoarthritis.  A few extra pounds increases that amount of weight that your joints need to support  which caused faster wear and tear of the joint as well as increased risk of injury.

2. Weakness- Weak leg muscles mean that you are more likely to injury your joints which increases the risk of osteoarthritis.  If you are worried about your leg strength there are lots of easy exercises that you can do at home with no equipment that will make a big difference.  

3. Age, Genes and Gender- not too much can be done about these risk factors except to realize that about half of the risk for arthritis of the hip or hand comes from your genes and that woman are more likely to develop the condition than men.

Good Luck

Erin

Vintage Fitness

A personal training company based in Toronto that specializes in working with older adults.  Our trainers come and train you in your home or condo gym.