Bone and joint illnesses and conditions can limit the way that you live your life. It can cause you to lead a very painful life that doesn't include your favorite physical activities. If you want to try to keep this from happening to you later in life, here are three tips to improving your overall orthopedic health:

1. Consume the Right Foods.

To promote healthy joints and bones, you need to make sure that you are consuming a well-balanced and healthy diet. The key in doing this is to ensure that you are incorporating foods with high nutritional value into every meal of the day. Two of the most important nutrients that you need to consume for orthopedic health are calcium and vitamin D. Calcium is well-known for its positive impact on the formation of your bones, so make sure that you are eating plenty of dairy products, such as cheese and yogurt, and drinking lots of milk, but you can also get it from some greens, such as kale, spinach, and collards, according to WebMD. You can get vitamin D by simply getting out in the sun, but you can also get it from fatty fish, egg yolks, orange juice, and some dairy products, says WebMD.

2. Stay Physically Active.

While eating the right foods can be important, it is just as important to remain active. This helps to maintain healthy and strong bones and joints. The key in doing this is to begin slow, and this is true whether you are working on being active as a preventative measure or you are working on being active as a way to strengthen your weakening skeletal system. 

So, in order to strengthen your bones and joints, you want to try to avoid extremely high-impact exercises that will put excessive stress on your joints and bones. Since it is important to start slow, you should begin with hand-held weights, stretch bands and/or brisk walks. You also want to make sure that you engage in plenty of stretching, especially prior to and following your exercising. This helps to get your muscles ready for the exercising and cool them down after your exercise routine, which reduces the risk of injury, soreness and tightness post-workout. In addition, stretching works to build up your flexibility and range of motion. 

3. Practice Healthy Lifestyle Habits.

For long-term orthopedic health, it is crucial that you begin practicing healthy lifestyle habits as early in life as possible. Therefore, when sitting, make sure that you are sitting with your back straight and both feet on the ground. This helps to ensure that your weight is distributed evenly and that your spine is straight. Try to limit the stress that is placed on your back by using suitcases with wheels, evening your backpack straps, ensuring your backpack is actually on your back rather than your lower back/butt, carrying loads that are lighter, etc. At night, try to sleep in a position that works better for the natural curve for your spine to limit the overall stress on your back.

For more info, contact a facility like Progress West Hospital.