It is a mistake to believe that joint pain is a sign of age – it is not at all, the reason for it is very often weight gain or even obesity. Then the joints can start to hurt well before reaching retirement age – even in your thirties, forties or fifties.
Joints should be spared
Most people do not even think about the fact that they have joints, until they do not cause problems – they do not start to hurt, they do not develop inflammation or begin to deform. However, they should not be forgotten because, acting like hinges, they ensure that our members can move. Joints consist of connective tissue, cartilage and bone, which, just like any moving mechanism, wears out over time and becomes increasingly fragile. Excess weight only accelerates this process. Joints may start to ache, develop inflammation, osteoarthritis or deformities.
A huge load must be endured
Due to excess weight, there is additional pressure on the joints, so they are constantly overloaded. Imagine that you have to carry a 1 kilogram bag of sugar with you all the time, and then one day instead of 1 kilogram you have 5 or even 7 kilograms. It’s hard, isn’t it? Also, the joints, especially the knees, hips and ankles, feel every extra kilogram you have as a burden, and if you have to overcome resistance with the extra weight, for example, you have to climb the stairs or a hill, the load on the joints increases even more.
Inflammation develops and pain increases
However, extra strain is not the only problem that comes from being overweight, as it can also cause inflammation in and around the joints. Such inflammation increases pain, hinders fluid flow, can even cause edema and, of course, limits movement. What, in turn, interferes with being physically active and getting rid of excess kilograms, the exact opposite happens – the desire to sink deeper into the couch and indulge in laziness increases, and the weight increases even more.
Back pain
Excess weight also puts strain on the back and can even cause the joints to be out of place. In an ideal position, a person’s shoulders are over the spine, which is centered over the hips. It distributes all the weight evenly on the knees and down to the feet. As the weight increases, the weight distribution on the joints also changes, creating a very heavy load on the back and joints. In addition, when there is a lot of fat in the body, it slowly pushes out of the right place, for example, the pelvis or the discs of the spine, so an incorrect curvature of the spine is formed, which is accompanied by great pain. Excess weight also causes great pain in the lower back, and people very often look for the cause of this pain, but do not really find it, at the same time not realizing that the excess kilograms are to blame.
Excess kilograms gone!
The good news is that losing even a few pounds can help your joints feel better, reduce pain and stress, and is an investment in the future, so your joints don’t wear out longer. When starting to lose weight, it is very important to choose physical activities that do not put additional stress on the joints of the legs, so as not to experience injuries. Walking, walking, swimming, and cycling are fine, but only when the weight has decreased and the load on the joints has decreased, you can start running, jumping, and other activities. However, it should be noted that as soon as you return to your old habits and lifestyle becomes more sedentary, excess weight can return and be harmful to your joints.