As the mercury dips and the chill seeps in, niggling aches can arise, making your bones creak and groan in winter. This is because the cold air contracts the muscles and reduces blood circulation to the peripheral regions like our arms and legs, resulting in stiffness and pain.

The pain can get especially worse for people suffering from old injuries, gout, or arthritis. Ignoring these symptoms can worsen the condition leading to more inflammation and reduced mobility.

So this winter we devised a few simple lifestyle changes that can help you stay active with strong bones and joints.

1. Get up and move – While the idea of curling up on our couch while gorging on pinnis and freshly baked cinnamon rolls or hot dal pakoras on a cold winter evening is very tempting, a sedentary lifestyle coupled with a rich diet can rapidly pile up those calories, further increasing the strain on your joints. Staying active by indulging even in light exercise including gentle stretches, can keep your circulation going and promote healing to relieve pain and inflammation. So the next time you want to curl up while watching Netflix, choose instead to do a few lunges and squats or a nice downward dog pose while you watch your favourite show and experience the shift in your bone strength and function.
2. Load up on anti-inflammatory foods – inflammation is the leading cause of all joint pain. Hence loading up on anti-inflammatory foods including ginger, garlic, turmeric, tulsi, flax seeds, spinach, and cabbage can help fight oxidative stress and, boost circulation, helping the bones and joints recover and heal quicker. Additionally supplementing with ORGANIC INDIA’s Turmeric Formula can boost your recovery, Rich in natural curcuminoids and Trikatu, it protects the body against the ravages of inflammation, and promotes gentle detoxification to aid bone, and joint recovery.
3. Stay hydrated –Lack of hydration means poor lubrication for joint movement as well as accumulation of toxins due to the body’s inability to effectively flush out toxins through the kidneys. While sipping plain water seems boring for many, more so during winter, eating water-rich vegetables and fruits, sipping vegetable juices and other healing beverages like Tulsi Green Tea or Tulsi Ginger Turmeric can help you meet your daily hydration requirements while gently restoring the natural vitality of the body. We suggest you explore the wide range of delicious teas and infusions from ORGANIC INDIA to select your favourite healing beverage.
4. Soothe your joints with TLC – Taking a warm water bath or massaging the affected area with warm oil, giving hot compresses, and using gentle elevation can help reduce swelling, and aid healing. ORGANIC INDIA Joint & Muscle Pain Oil Arnica is specially formulated to relieve joint pain and stiffness. Containing a rich blend of more than 88 ayurvedic herbs including Arnica and pure essential oils, this oil helps to reduce inflammation and pain, restore muscle strength and improve joint mobility.
5. Soak in lots of vitamin D – Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium. Hence a lack of vitamin D can cause joint and bone pain. Therefore, ensure you get 10-15 mins of daily sun exposure, ideally during the morning time to build your vitamin D reserves and promote bone strength. Apart from this, ensure you consume vitamin D-rich foods that include leafy greens, dairy, mushrooms, broccoli, chickpeas, and figs on a daily basis to avoid any deficiencies.
6. Eat a mineral-rich diet – Our bones need a regular and adequate supply of nutrients like calcium, protein, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin D, and potassium to maintain optimal strength and function. A varied diet rich in minerals like spirulina, leafy greens, whole grains and pulses, nuts, and seeds is essential to support bone health. Including a daily supplement of ORGANIC INDIA Osteoseal Capsules can further help to meet your daily nutrition requirements. Formulated with a combination of bone-friendly herbs, these capsules are rich in plant-based minerals and amino acids that can help to promote healthy bone growth and strong teeth. The supplement is also helpful in conditions of osteoporosis, osteopenia, and arthritis.
7. Dress warm – While going for cold showers can be a great way to boost energy and immunity, exposure to cold air for too long can rob you of essential body heat, and increase the Vata dosha in your body, making you more prone to joint pain and stiffness. Hence it is important to layer with warm clothes to keep your joints comfortable and flexible, especially when exercising outdoors.