To maintain and improve healthy joints, they must be protected against joint destructive behaviors and activities.

Components of a Joint Protection Strategy

1. Be mindful of good posture. Maintain normal spinal curves when engaging in exercise, recreational activities, desk work, and all other daily activities.
2. Engage in a balanced, life-long, pain-free exercise program that emphasizes strengthening, balance, and flexibility exercises.
3. Maintain a healthy body weight.
4. Following periods of illness, injury, or inactivity, it is important to resume an exercise program that is pain free and of moderate intensity.

• It is normal to lose strength, flexibility, and balance after periods of inactivity. Injuries, joint pain, and joint damage may result as much from the inactivity following an illness or injury as the injury or illness itself.
• Remember, strength, flexibility, and balance will always return when you resume exercising correctly after an illness, injury, or period of inactivity.

5. As you get older, avoid exercises that stress your joints and ligaments, such as bending exercises, squatting exercises, and exercises done hanging from a bar.
6. Be mindful of the dangers of falling when walking and running, especially on uneven and unfamiliar ground.
7. When possible, avoid taking pills, having surgeries, and resorting to inactivity to control joint pain.
8. Get enough rest.