As people grow older, the body begins to reveal any wear and tear that it has picked up along the way. Everything from your feet, ankles, shins, knees, and hips is affected by your weight.
If you pay close attention, athletes like Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Paul have shed a noticeable amount of pounds to save their bones while they are flying high in the NBA.
This idea isn’t just for athletes. As you grow older it is important to keep your weight down for multiple reasons and your bones are one of them.
According to the CDC, 42 of percent people are overweight in the United States. Thirty percent of these same people have complained about joint pain and 18 percent claim that the pain is coming from their knees.
One of the most common joint conditions caused by being overweight is called Osteoarthritis This is caused by being overweight and applying too much pressure to your lower half. You may experience achy, swollen, stiff joints after the cartilage within a joint begins to degenerate.
At this point, your bones are rubbing against each other resulting in irritation, pain, and swelling. The more weight your body holds the more joint pain you will have in the long run.
The Effect of Carbs
There is a multitude of reasons why people could be overweight so going over a checklist of healthy and unhealthy habits that contribute to your weight helps.
The consumption of too many carbohydrates can be a key contributor to being overweight.
Foods like bread, grains, potatoes, corn, pasta, beer, juice, and chips are high in carbohydrates. This list is a very short condensed version of what people are consuming at high rates daily.
When carbs are not broken down successfully, they go undigested in your stomach or colon. This can lead to fermentation by the gut bacteria and can cause the stomach to bloat.
When your body is not digesting carbs the right way, insulin resistance can occur which can increase blood sugar levels over time. This can cause you to feel fatigued or crave even more unhealthy foods because of a spike in blood sugar. This is counterproductive for anyone who wants to get more active to begin losing a significant amount of weight.
Losing as little as 10 pounds can make a significant difference in the pressure on your knees.
Exercise That’s Easy On The Joints
Although eating healthy and exercise are effective ways to take off the pressure.
It may be difficult to find the right exercise for your achy joints. Swimming, water aerobics and even jogging in the pool are great ways to burn calories without putting too much pressure on your knees.
While you are in the water, your body floats and it helps take the weight off of your knees, and at the same time, it provides enough resistance to help strengthen your muscles.
Exercise machines like elliptical and stationary bikes are also a great way to get in good cardio without having sore knees by the end of your workout.