Understanding the importance of joint health: Everyday tips to improve it naturally
We tend to think less about our joints than our muscles and bones, until something starts to hurt. A twinge in the knee, a click in the shoulder, a morning stiffness that takes longer to ease. Suddenly, joint health is very much on our radar. A lot of advice we hear focuses on saying that we should protect joints by doing less (usually as a counter to excessive repetitive impact, rather than about normal living) or fixing them with targeted exercises, which definitely helps to improve symptoms.
Another way to give our joints the care they need is found in far less ‘specialised’ routines; it’s found in how you move (or don’t move) through daily life.
Joints aren’t fragile; they’re designed to move and they need to move
There’s a common myth that joints ‘wear out’ like tyres, as in, if you use them too much it’s inevitable that they’ll deteriorate. But joints are living, adaptive tissue. They’re meant to move, to carry the load of our bodies and respond to challenges.
Problems arrive when we often don’t use them often enough, or in enough different ways.
That might sound surprising if you walk every day or go to the gym. But many of us unknowingly repeat the same movement patterns: sitting in similar postures, walking on flat ground, using the same hand to carry bags, the same side to lead when we step up. Our joints get very good at moving in a few specific ways and in turn, we can lose capacity in the directions we unknowingly neglect.
That’s where natural, everyday movement comes in. It offers a more complete, varied way of moving that supports joint health not by specific isolated movements we need to remember to add into our daily lives, but by integrating it into the real stuff of life.
Why variety and load go hand in hand
We often hear that we should move more, but that really is too simplistic; it’s not just more movement that matters, it’s different movement. Joints need variety to stay mobile, lubricated and responsive. That’s because movement acts like a pump: it brings nutrients and hydration in and pushes waste out, keeping the joint capsule healthy. And it may surprise you to know that it’s only movement that does that. So when we don’t move the joints, the capsules don’t get what they need.
The secondary requirement is about the range we can move a joint. Again - if we only move our joints in more narrow ranges (for example rarely using our arms above our heads, when shoulder joints are built to help us move that way), then our ability to do so diminishes as the joint adapts to the patterns we use most frequently - our inputs are telling the body that’s what we need to be good at! So, if you don’t move the joint through a wide enough range regularly issues of limited range can appear.
And then there’s load. Joints don’t just need movement, they also need load to stay strong. That doesn’t necessarily mean lifting heavy weights (though strength training has great benefits and is now a non-negotiable for me). It means placing small amounts of force, using our own bodyweight and more, through joints in everyday ways: squatting down to reach a low cupboard, leaning weight onto your hands as you garden, stepping on uneven ground when you walk outdoors.
Natural everyday movement stacks both variety and load into daily life in ways your joints love.
When joints feel vulnerable, confidence matters too
Sometimes joint pain or stiffness leads us to protect, guard, or hold tension around a joint. We assume that less movement will help, but that can sometimes make things worse. What joints really need is confident, gradual use. They need to be reminded that they can move freely again.
This is where nervous system feedback comes into play. If you’ve had pain or instability, your body may limit movement without you realising it. Movements become smaller, more hesitant. You avoid deep bends, twists, or getting to the floor, not because you physically can’t, but because your brain has decided those ranges are ‘not safe.’
Natural movement helps rebuild that trust. Reaching, crawling, shifting, pressing into hands, all these movements gently wake up underused ranges and gradually rewire your confidence in them. You are restoring joint health at the same time as restoring your belief in your body’s capability.
Your joints are always talking - are you listening?
A little stiffness in the morning. A sense of favouring one knee. Tight shoulders after a day at your desk. These aren’t warnings to stop moving, they’re requests to move differently.
Joint discomfort is often your body’s way of saying, “I need more variety. I need more motion. I need a break from this one shape.”
Learning to notice those cues, and respond with movement, not stillness, is one of the best joint health tips I can offer. It’s not about pushing through acute pain of course, but it is about gently inviting the body into more options, more shapes, and more natural movement throughout your day.
Natural movement: your best long-term joint strategy
Instead of thinking of joint health as an additional focus, embed it into how you live…
When you unload the dishwasher, squat or kneel instead of bending through your spine.
When you scroll on your phone, do it seated on the floor and shift between positions.
When you carry something heavy, switch sides regularly and notice how your body responds.
When you walk, seek out curbs, fallen tree trunks or even stones to climb on - let your ankles and hips adapt to changing terrain.
These aren’t hacks or routines. They’re ways of reclaiming joint health through the movements life already gives you - if you’re willing to engage with them a little differently.
It’s not about perfect joints - it’s about responsive ones
Good joint health doesn’t mean you never feel stiff. It doesn’t mean every joint has a full range of motion forever. These aims are not based in reality. What matters is that your joints stay responsive; able to move, shift, and adapt to what life asks of you.
Everyday natural movement makes space for variability, encourages confidence, and offers your joints the feedback they need to keep functioning well - not just in exercise, but in everything you do.
So next time your shoulder twinges or your knees feel creaky, don’t ask, “How do I fix this joint?” Ask instead, “Have I been moving differently lately?” The honest answer might surprise you, and your joints will thank you for it.
If your hips are feeling tight or stiff despite being active and even regularly stretching to alleviate it, you’ll love my upcoming mini course, ‘Happier hips in 5 steps’ in which we add in some simple inputs around your daily life, to start to give your hips the movements they need. To hear about it first, register your interest here.
