London: Health Perception, the UKs leading glucosamine specialists, have initiated a new consumer awareness campaign called JUMP 4 JOINTS! This has been developed specifically to draw attention to the importance of looking after ones joints from an early age in order to enjoy overall health and mobility later on in life.
Many people are totally unaware of just how vulnerable their joints are. Inevitably, they dont worry about the health of their joints until problems occur. These could be anything from the complaining elbow of an amateur tennis player to the more extreme pain caused by repetitive use of certain joints over time, and the onset of osteoarthritis.
According to the Arthritis Research Campaign, more than 7 million adults in the UK have long-term health problems due to arthritis and related conditions. The cost to the nation is estimated in the region of £6.5 billion when absence due to illness, consultations, prescription drugs and secondary care rheumatology costs, disability allowances and community and social services are taken into account.
The first step of the campaign is a free 24-page booklet that is packed with expert advice and valuable information on nutrition and exercise, as well as interesting facts on joints and how they work.
Whether suffering discomfort now, or seeking to avoid it in the future, JUMP 4 JOINTS! could help. One of the contributors, GP Dr Rob Hicks, clearly lists various ways to improve joint health and recommends keeping active. It saddens me when I hear people say that having Osteoarthritis means they cant do the things they want to do anymore, or that they just have to live with it because this doesnt have to be the case.
David Wilkie, founder and managing director of Health Perception is keen to draw attention to the benefits that supplements such as glucosamine can bring to joint husbandry. As a former Olympic swimmer, I have personally felt the pressure of sport at the highest level and the associated stresses and strains on the body and its joints. It was for this reason that I originally decided to introduce glucosamine into the U.K. I had seen many of the worlds top athletes using glucosamine, a naturally occurring product in the body commonly referred to today as the building blocks of the connective tissues, to help their joints with excellent results, but it was a relatively unknown product here at home.
In the guide, Naturopath Miriam Elkan has compiled a list of The Good and the Bad foods for joint health and explains that: Caring for your joints means taking care of everything else and everything else taking care of your joints. If you care for your joints you are also looking after your heart, your lungs and your weight.
A special four-page easy-to-follow Jump 4 Joints! Workout has been devised by Pilates Consultant and Chartered Physiotherapist, Beverley Skull, to help improve overall joint mobility. She also focuses on four main areas of fitness, namely strength, aerobic capacity, flexibility, and agility & balance, along with an explanation on the overall benefits of exercise to promote a healthy active life. This is reinforced by David Wilkies swimming feature and Karl Frews introduction to Rebounding, which, according to NASA is the most efficient and effective exercise yet devised by man.
This publication has something for everyone, including a handy index to guide the consumer through the myriad of information available, with a whos who and whats what in the world of joint health and culminates with the chance to win a break for two in Iceland.
The Jump 4 Joints! booklet is available free by calling 0845 330 5518 or by visiting the dedicated website www.jump4joints.co.uk