5 Morning Habits to Get Your Joint Health off to a Good Start

Do you wake up with stiff or creaky joints? If so, there are things you can do to keep them from slowing down your day. Developing healthy lifestyle habits can help you maintain proper mobility and flexibility to move about your day without pain. The morning is a great time to start good habits to set the tone for the day, and so you can enjoy optimal joint health all day, every day.

5 Morning Habits for Joint Health

1. Drink Water

Drink a full glass of water as soon as you wake up to replenish what you’ve lost during the night. Maintaining the hydration that your body and joints need is important for reducing oxidative damage that can inhibit mobility. The synovial fluid that helps lubricate joints is primarily made of water, and drinking water in the morning and through the day will ensure your joints have the fluid they need to keep you moving.

2. Stretch

The body has been at rest during sleep, so you want to gently wake your joints in the morning with light stretching. Stretching increases blood flow to the muscles, allowing them to relax, and gets synovial fluid moving around within your joints to reduce stiffness. Simple stretches you can try before even getting out of bed include:

• Bringing your knees into your chest to stretch your back
• Slightly lifting your legs and circling your ankles in both directions
• Rocking your knees side-to-side to get your hips moving
• Sitting up and rolling your shoulders forward and backward
• Holding your arms out in front of you and flexing your arms and then wrists

3. Get Moving

Now that your body is all warmed up and ready to go after stretching, some morning exercise will make your joints happy. You only need thirty minutes a day, and you have your choice of joint-supporting exercises like swimming, cycling, walking, strength training, and yoga. Regular exercise also helps reduce stress, which can cause inflammation that aggravates your joints.

Regular physical activity promotes flexibility, mobility, and balance by maintaining strong muscles and supports healthy bone structure and density. Starting your day with exercise can help get your joints moving, making it easier to manage any daily pain.

4. Take a Warm Shower

Once your workout is complete, take a warm shower. This is one of the best ways to help relieve joint stiffness. It also helps soothe muscles after your workout, as the heat causes the blood to move to the surface of the skin, expanding your blood vessels to allow for increased circulation, which relaxes your muscles. The combination of exercise and a warm shower will have your joints, and you ready to hit the ground running every day.

5. Eat a Nutrient-Rich Breakfast

Because diet is one of the most important lifestyle factors influencing joint health, your breakfast choices are important. It is important to avoid foods high in sugars and processed flour. Choose meals that contain nutrients that help support joint health, such as:

• Omega-3 fatty acids (nuts and seeds)
• Vitamin E (avocado)
• Vitamin A (spinach)
• Vitamin C (citrus fruits)
• Potassium (bananas)
• Anthocyanins (berries)
• Calcium (yogurt)
• Turmeric (easily added to pancakes or omelets)

A morning smoothie is an easy way to get plenty of nutrients in one place. Try the recipe below for a delicious way to nourish your joints for a busy day ahead.

• ½ cup peeled, diced carrot
• ½ frozen banana, diced
• 1 cup frozen pineapple chunks
• ½ cup fresh orange juice
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• ½ inch fresh ginger, peeled
• ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
• Pinch black pepper (to promote the absorption of turmeric)

Simply blend the carrot, banana, pineapple, orange juice, ginger, and chia seeds together. Then add the turmeric and black pepper, blending until smooth. Drink right away.

For Extra Joint Health Support

Your joints work hard to get you from A to B every day, possibly with a few stops in between. Maintaining proper mobility, flexibility, and balance so that you can move through each day without creaky joints and pain requires the right nutrients. In addition to the five morning habits above, give your joints a little extra support with the naturally-sourced ingredients found in 1MD Nutrition’s MoveMD®.

MoveMD® is a comprehensive joint health solution that includes AprésFlex® Boswellia serrata, a clinically-studied extract that supports flexibility, mobility, and joint comfort. This is combined with Zanthin® Natural Astaxanthin to help reduce inflammation; hyaluronic acid to help lubricate joints; and different types of advanced collagen to support cartilage health and function.

Final Thoughts

An integrative approach to joint health is the best way to support long-term mobility and quality of life. These joint-supporting habits can help you establish a morning routine that provides balanced nutrition, regular exercise, stress management tools, and the supplemental support of MoveMD® for proper joint function. Your best joint health starts with a good morning.