Aging and physical activity can stress your joints, naturally leading to stiffness and loss of mobility over time.* Anything that limits your ability to move can have a negative affect on your daily quality of life. The good news is that there are simple ways to help maintain healthy joints.*

The key to joint health is to care for your body as part of your overall wellness. Learn to support your joints with these 6 lifestyle tips:

First and foremost, keep moving. The more you move, the less stiffness you'll have. While we tend to sit most of the day, it’s important to get up and move around often. Take breaks from your desk or your chair to maintain movement throughout your day. Daily (or frequent) walks are a great way to stay mobile and can easily fit into most lifestyles.

Over time, physical activity can put stress on your joints. High-impact sports and activities like running are more intense which means more stress on your joints and a higher risk of injury. Participating in low-impact activities are easier on your joints which older adults or anyone with stiff joints would prefer. Low-impact exercises that are easier on your joints include swimming, walking, yoga, and Pilates.

Carrying extra body weight adds stress to your joints, especially weight-bearing joints like your hips, knees, and back. This added stress can increase your risk of injury and limit the normal function of your joints. By maintaining a healthy weight, you’re keeping your joints in the best position to stay healthy and functioning properly without the added stress from excess weight.

Bones and joints are held in place by muscle and other supporting connective tissue. To protect your joints, you need to have toned muscles to provide support and stability. With proper strength training, you will increase the stability of your joints, which in turn can help protect them from injury. Whether you’re an active athlete or aging adult, strength training is important to build and maintain strong muscles to stabilize your joints.

Tip: If you’re new to lifting weights, make sure a professional shows you proper form so that you don’t stress your joints from poor alignment.  

Maintaining range of motion is important as you age. To keep your range of motion, dynamic stretching is helpful before or as a part of your exercise routine. Dynamic stretches are active movements where joints and muscles go through a full range of motion. They typically mimic the movement of the activity or sport you're about to perform. For example, marching in the spot with high knees for 1 minute before going on a hike.

Try It: Use these 7 Dynamic Warm Ups from the Arthritis Foundation to help increase flexibility which can reduce the risk of injury associated with exercise.

Taking a complete joint support supplement may help encourage an active and healthy lifestyle for the young and old. Glucosamine, Chondroitin, and MSM are often included in joint supplements to support joint health.* Viva Naturals Joint Support is a complete supplement that includes these plus a clinically-studied ingredient shown to improve joint comfort in 7 days!*

Our specialized formula supports 5 signs of joint health including mobility, range of motion, flexibility, joint lubrication, and smooth movement.* Taking our Joint Support supplement can help support your joint health in multiple ways — so you can stay active and maintain a healthy lifestyle.*