When you think about supporting and maintaining your orthopedic health, that means you are paying attention to your body’s musculoskeletal system. This includes your bones, joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and other soft tissues that provide support and help keep you functioning every day. If you ever find yourself in need of an orthopedic doctor, it is likely because you have an injury or condition that affects your musculoskeletal system. Sports injuries, slip-and-fall injuries, and car accident injuries can all lead to issues that an orthopedic doctor can treat. Musculoskeletal conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis, and muscle pain are all examples of what an orthopedic doctor can treat.
Preventative Care for Orthopedic Health
Many conditions and injuries can lead to larger issues and complications if they aren’t treated right away. As you age, your body loses some of its strength, flexibility, and elasticity that it had in your younger years. Taking preventative measures at a young age can help set yourself up for a healthy lifestyle where you can continue to enjoy your favorite activities for years to come.
7 Wellness Tips for Maintaining Orthopedic Health:
There are many things you can do in your life to help support a healthy body and maintain orthopedic health. Here are seven tips for how to maintain your orthopedic health each day:
Stay Active
The best thing you can do for your overall health is to stay active. This means making time each day to get your muscles moving and your heart pumping. Staying active can include walks around the block each day or sixty-minute exercise routines, depending on what works best for you. The goal is to keep moving and continue to support healthy, strong muscles.
Focus on Your Core
Building up your core muscles can be an underrated exercise that can really help support your whole body. When you have strong core muscles, you can sit up straighter, balance better, and support a healthy spine. Building strong core muscles helps you to maintain a healthy posture so that your whole body can function at its best.
Stretch Before Exercising
Always remember to stretch before you exercise! Stretching is a great way to start getting the blood flowing and warm up your muscles for the activities ahead. Stretching before and after a workout also helps promote flexibility and strength in your muscles. When you take the time to stretch, it also helps decrease your chances of an injury like a sprain or strain while exercising.
Support a Healthy Weight
Talk to your doctor about a healthy weight that works for your body and your lifestyle. When you maintain a healthy weight, your body is better able to distribute your body weight without putting too much pressure and strain on your joints and weaken your muscles.
Create a Safe Workspace
We spend so much time working, whether you are driving a truck or sitting at a desk for hours on end. Setting up a safe and healthy workspace can encourage you to practice healthier habits. If you sit a lot while on the job, then try to incorporate breaks where you can walk around and stretch your legs for a bit. If your job requires you to stand a lot or put repeated pressure on certain joints, then make sure you incorporate time to rest and relieve that pressure.
Boost Your Immunity
Practicing healthy habits throughout your day can help to boost your immune system. These little tips and tricks along the way can help to support a healthier spine, which in turn helps to boost your immunity. Focusing on healthy eating habits can also help when you choose nutritious foods that support your body.
Visit Your Doctor Regularly
Don’t skip the wellness exams! Visiting your doctor regularly is like preventative maintenance for your body. Talk to your doctor when you are healthy so you know what your baseline is and so that you are better able to identify when something doesn’t feel right. If you start to experience pain and it lasts for more than a few days, then talk to an orthopedic doctor so you can avoid issues like chronic pain.
At AICA Orthopedics, our team of orthopedic doctors works with you to provide comprehensive care for preventative, routine, and injury treatment.
