Winter is hard on our bodies and minds. It is common to struggle with seasonal depression, and huge to-do lists on the run up to Christmas mean that many of us – moms in particular – experience stress, back pain, and burnout. In the winter we get coughs, colds, and stomach bugs, seemingly one after the other, and our bodies hurt. Winter joint pain is incredibly common. Long days on our feet and cold, damp weather can mean that our joints ache and become swollen.
While these aches and pains are often normal, that doesn’t mean that you have to live with them, and they certainly should not stop you from doing things, or hold you back from enjoying any of your favorite exercises or winter activities. Here are some of the things that you can do to cope with winter joint pain:
Know Your Normal
Joint pain in the winter is common, especially if you exercise or spend long periods on your feet or outdoors. It is also fairly common for joint pain and other aches to become more pronounced as we get older. But that does not mean that all pain is normal. If you are worried about anything, or you feel like aches and pains are suddenly worse, or different, then you might have an underlying condition, such as knee arthritis. Kneecare Clinics knee arthritis treatments can help you to manage pain and ease discomfort.
Keep Warm
If your joints ache when it is cold, it makes sense that one of the best things that you can do is keep warm. Make sure you wrap up warm when you are out and keep your home at a comfortable temperature. If you struggle with poor circulation, compression sleeves, socks, or stockings can help to keep blood flowing to your joints.
Exercise
You might not want to exercise when it is cold or when you ache but it’s important that you do. Moving can stop your joints from becoming stiff and swollen and stretching out can ease any discomfort. If you are having trouble with your knees, try cycling, which puts less pressure on them than jogging. Swimming can also be low impact, and a short walk is a great way to boost circulation and ease stiffness. You might also want to add yoga to your routines to stretch out muscles and improve flexibility.
Get Plenty Of Rest
Exercise is great but rest is also important. If your joints are aching after a long day, take a hot both, get a massage, or rest with your feet elevated to boost blood flow and reduce swelling.
Manage Stress
It is common to be stressed out at this time of the year. However, stress does not just affect how we feel, it can also mean that we carry extra tension in our bodies, increasing pain, and inflammation. Manage your stress by talking to friends, doing things that you enjoy, and resting when you need to. Then make sure you are enjoying a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and getting plenty of sleep.
As a mom, this is probably one of your busiest times of the year, and you do not want aches and pains to hold you back. Try these coping strategies and get professional help if you need to.
