Dr. Arnan Sisson, PT| January 3, 2023

If you’re anything like most folks around this time of the year, you’re probably thinking about starting a more active, healthy lifestyle.

But that’s the hard part Isn’t it?… Getting started!!

You just need that extra bit of drive or a spark that ignites you on the road to a healthier and ultimately HAPPIER life.  Well allow me to help set you on the right path to being healthier and HAPPIER all year long…

Now, I am a doctor of physical therapy so I’ll give you a few reasons to exercise from a PT perspective….

I’m sure you’re already aware that exercise can make you lose weight and keep your heart healthy, but one of the less well known benefits of exercise, is that it can nourish your joints and ultimately make them last longer!

I know it’s hard to think of the future, but we are all heading into it whether we like it or not.

And I knowt he last thing people want to think about is not being able to do the things they enjoy most, for example…

Comfortably play with their kids or grandkids, or go for walks in the woods – but this could be a reality if your joints are not cared for and used as they are designed to be used.

I’m going to relate this to the knee as I have been seeing lots of clients with knee wear and tear and pain recently…

Now the knee joint has a very slippery fluid inside of it that makes it move freely without getting stuck.  If the joint is not getting moved fully, then the area it is not getting moved to won’t be nourished with this fluid, and over a period of time could wear down quicker!

Sounds simple doesn’t it?… Well,  to explain it further imagine you buy a new car. If you are driving it around a lot, oil goes around the engine and keeps everything moving properly.

If you go away for a few months on vacation, when you come back the car might take a bit of time to get going and this is because the oil has not been circulating to keep the engine healthy.

So just like how you give your car a run about, why not do the same for your joints? After all replacing them is a lot more difficult than replacing a car.

Another factor is that your joints rely on muscles that cross them to limit the amount of force going through the joint and ensure they move more efficiently.

If muscles are weak then the joint is less supported and is more likely to be put into positions that stress it and cause it to wear down faster.  It could even make you more prone to injuries!!

Performing basic strengthening exercises, that can be guided by your physical therapist, will lengthen the life of your joints, speed up recovery from injury and keep you active for longer.

There are also other ways and methods physical therapists use to regain and maintain good movement and strength in and around joints so don’t suffer in silence.

P.S – For more tips like this, visit here to download your copy of our FREE knee pain report: https://www.montrossphysicaltherapy.com/Services/Knee-Pain