Everyday your joints take on a lot of stress and strain. Carrying extra weight increases this burden even more. One of the most common concerns for women who are overweight is recurrent joint pain. So what can you do about it? Here are a few key suggestions to help ease your suffering and get you back on track to a healthy and active life:

1. Lose weight:  There’s no question about it that this is much easier said than done. However, losing even just a few pounds has a significant impact on reducing joint pain and inflammation. I encourage you to take a long-term approach; only then will you have PERMANENT healthy weight loss.  My 1^st Get Healthy program gives you the tools and support you need to achieve this.
2. Participate in gentle consistent activity: When your joints are already stressed, you don’t want to add an exercise program that’s going to increase that stress. Choose low intensity activities and strength building exercises such as yoga, swimming and walking. Most importantly, choose to be active everyday. Consistency is the key to a healthy exercise program.
3. Take your supplements:  While vitally important to your overall health, supplements can also have a huge impact on the health of your joints. Key ingredients that have been shown to play a role include omega-3’s, glucosamine and turmeric.
4. Consider acupuncture, meditation and massage to help you deal with pain.