Lifestyle habits

Lifestyle habits have a great effect on health. Factors such as excess body weight or nutrition influence the course of osteoarthritis. Exercise also plays a role.

Overweight people expose their joints to greater loads than they would have to bear naturally. This overload causes excessive stress to the spine and the limbs and therefore leads to an imbalance between the spinal and abdominal muscles. As a result, the body’s centre of gravity shifts in such a way that the pelvis and thus the hip joints are excessively loaded. This increases joint wear and favours the development or progression of osteoarthritis.

Excessive body weight is often a consequence of an unhealthy diet and a lack of exercise. It is therefore important to prevent these causal factors and to adjust one’s lifestyle habits. In particular, acidic foods and drinks as well as alcohol and excessive consumption of coffee or sugar may promote osteoarthritis.

Exercise activities help the body to eliminate acids. At the same time, blood circulation is stimulated and the joint cartilage is nourished. Exercise is therefore an important aspect in the adjustment of lifestyle habits and should never be neglected.