Here are some steps to set yourself up for future stability and success by improving the strength of your musculoskeletal (MSK) system:
Move more: Bones, muscles and joints need movement to stay healthy. The U.S. Surgeon General recommends adults get at least 150 minutes weekly of moderate physical activity (such as walking, yardwork, recreational swimming) or at least 75 minutes of intense weekly activity (jogging, hiking uphill, basketball).

The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) and chiropractors nationwide are encouraging the public to take simple steps toward better musculoskeletal (MSK) health. The MSK system is comprised of the spine as well as all the muscles, bones and joints of the body.

Rule number one: be sure to consult your doctor of chiropractic before beginning any exercise program.

Walking just 12 minutes every other day can offer important health benefits. But in order to increase your longevity, try to walk for up to 30 minutes, five days per week.

Move your arms freely, in coordination with the opposite leg. Don’t stoop your head or look down as you walk. This will challenge the normal forward curve of your neck, which, in turn, will cause you to carry your weight improperly.

Winter is a time for being extra careful. Shoveling snow the wrong way, slipping on sidewalks and wearing the wrong kinds of clothing can lead to spasms, strains and sprains.

When snow, ice and frigid weather blast into town, you should take precautions to prevent injury. Winter recreational activities can pose problems for the outdoor enthusiast whose body is not properly conditioned. Winter sports like skating, skiing and sledding can cause painful muscle spasms, strains or tears if you haven’t taken the time to warm up.

Following these guidelines can help you prevent injuries: Avoid doing too much, too soon. Never increase the length of your workouts by more than 10 percent from one week to the next, and never increase both the length and intensity of your workout at the same time. Never skip your warm-up or cool-down. Tight or stiff muscles around a joint will make the area more prone to injury. This is especially important in sports that require quick movements, such as basketball and tennis.

Human joints come in many shapes and sizes and allow us to move and carry out normal activities of daily living. Without joints, we would be rigid and immobile. But they are also often injured, causing pain and discomfort. The most commonly injured joints are the knees, shoulders, ankles and spine. Approximately 30 million doctor visits a year are due to knee and shoulder injuries alone. Some 150 million to 200 million cases of back pain send people to the doctor every year—and many of those are related to joint injuries. Most sports-related injuries involve damage to the joints.

A good way to maintain your health is to eat nutritiously. In fact, even a few simple changes in your diet can have a positive impact on your health—and may prevent a variety of chronic health problems in the future. As part of their extensive education, chiropractors are trained in nutrition and wellness promotion, and they can offer you dietary counseling as well as lifestyle tips to get you moving in the right direction. Start today to make better choices that will fuel and strengthen your body. Here are some simple suggestions:

When relatively small abnormal stresses are repeatedly placed on normal joints, the injuries that result are called repetitive-stress injuries or cumulative-trauma disorders. The stresses placed on joints by poor posture, poor joint position during the performance of a task, and/or poor workstation ergonomics make these joints more likely to be injured.

There are three basic principles that are especially important when considering the impact of proper joint movement.

Most joints in the body are lined with cartilage—a firm but pliable tissue that covers the surfaces of the bones that make up the joint. Cartilage within a joint is nourished by synovial fluid, which is “forced” into the joint cartilage through a process called imbibition. The pressure within the joint providing nourishment to the cartilage occurs only when joint movement happens. And this is why movement is critical to joint health.