As professional orthopaedic suppliers in Pretoria, we see many patients who need orthopaedic assistance for injuries that could have been avoided with simple preventative measures. In order to keep walking, working, and enjoying your favourite activities without being limited by your body’s shortcomings, you should look after your health.
Making a few simple changes to your diet and lifestyle can help you avoid serious orthopaedic problems. Some of these include:
Maintain A Healthy Weight
We hear about weight loss all the time to look and feel great, but keeping the weight off has other benefits too. Apart from keeping weight-related diseases away, maintaining a healthy weight will lower your risk of developing osteoarthritis. Unnecessary additional weight puts strain on your joints, which can weaken your muscles, and can increase your risk of injury.
Exercise
Hand in hand with a healthy weight is exercise. Exercising won’t only shed the excess fat, it will also maintain bone and joint health as well as muscle mass (which will assist with preventing injuries). You don’t necessarily need to be a pro cross-fitter – moderate exercises like stretching, walking, and swimming can all keep your body feeling great and prevent injuries due to muscle strength.
Get Better Shoes
You need to suffer to be beautiful, right? Wrong. It may be tempting to reach for those stylish sneakers or calf-enhancing high heels, but you may find that in the long run, pain will become the only trend in your life. If your shoes are not supporting you correctly, this can lead to back problems, hip issues, knee issues and more!
Thanks to modern fashion influences, supportive shoes are no longer clunky and ugly. Get yourself some proper supportive shoes, or at least an insole that keeps you balanced. Your body will thank you in the later years.
Get Regular Check-ups
After 25, it’s important to get regular check-ups at your general practitioner. A primary care doctor can discuss additional preventive measures to protect your orthopaedic and overall health.
For orthopaedic and prosthetic advice and supplies, give us a call!