Key Takeaways:
- Healthy joints, muscles, and bones can be supported using supplements that include curcumin, calcium and magnesium, and protein.*
- B-complex vitamins can help turn your food into energy so that you stay energized throughout your workout.*
The benefits of maintaining an active lifestyle are huge. Nearly every aspect of your health – from your ability to focus, to your ability to fall asleep at night – can be improved with regular physical activity.
However, whether you’re an avid daily exerciser or a weekend warrior, you must be supporting your body with the right nutrition and supplements. The quality of your energy, mobility, flexibility, bone health, and muscle growth depends greatly on the nutrients you are putting into your body.
Let’s look at some of the most important supplements to help support your active lifestyle.
Supplements for energy production
As you probably know, the body gets its energy first and foremost from the food you eat. If you’ve ever binge-ate a bunch of junk food, you’ve probably noticed that you don’t exactly feel like getting up and going for a run – your body needs quality fats, carbohydrates, and protein to help give you energy.
B-complex vitamins
B-complex vitamins play a key role in transforming the food you eat into the energy that powers your workouts.* B-vitamins help convert dietary energy into adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the form of energy your body uses.*
SolgarⓇ B-Complex “100” offers all eight B-complex vitamins and is vegan, non-GMO, gluten-free, dairy-free, kosher, and halal.
Other ways to maintain your energy
Make sure you’re getting enough natural sunlight: Natural sunlight is the strongest factor that affects the circadian rhythm, or sleep-wake cycle. Found in the brain, the pineal gland processes information regarding natural light and darkness, then relays that information to the body through melatonin. Melatonin – the hormone that promotes sleep – is released naturally as sunlight lessens later in the day.
Limit your caffeine intake: Although it’s tempting to reach for that extra cup of coffee in the afternoon, the jolt of energy caffeine gives you could lead to a crash once it wears off leaving you feeling more tired than before. Try drinking a glass of water instead.
Start the day with protein: Protein-rich foods in the morning can help to keep you energized throughout the day. Start your day with eggs, oatmeal, or a chocolate or vanilla SolgarⓇ Whey to GoⓇ Protein shake.
Supplements for joints
Often, people don’t think about their joints until they are experiencing discomfort. But being proactive in caring for your joints will ensure that you can continue doing the activities you love and enjoy.
Curcumin
Curcumin, a compound found in turmeric, is well-known for its antioxidant properties that could help support joints.* Paying attention to the absorption and bioavailability of curcumin – the ease with which the ingredient can reach the bloodstream and circulate in the body – is especially important, as curcumin typically has limited absorption and bioavailability because of low solubility in water. Limited bioavailability makes it more difficult for your body to make use of the good stuff.
SolgarⓇ Full SpectrumTM Curcumin offers 40 mg of body-ready curcumin per one softgel. SolgarⓇ’s curcumin is micellized, which transforms fat-soluble curcumin into a water-soluble form, which is why its bioavailability is 185x better than regular curcumin, making it more active.* In fact, just one softgel delivers the equivalency of dozens of (100 mg) capsules of standardized curcumin extract.*
SolgarⓇ No.7 is another great way to support your joints. This unique blend combines the power of turmeric with other bioactive nutrients such as Ester-CⓇ, boswellia, white willow bark, black pepper, and ginger root to create a fast-acting approach for occasional tweaks and joint stresses brought on by exercise.* It also works to improve joint comfort, and increase mobility and flexibility.*
Other ways to support your joints
Warm-up before exercise: Warming up before exercising gets your blood pumping and warms up your joints, which helps prevent injury. Dynamic stretches or low-impact exercises like cycling are a great way to warm-up.
Eat a balanced diet: Maintaining a healthy diet is key to maintaining happy joints. Eating foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as walnuts, flaxseed, salmon or other fatty fish, can help to regulate the production of signaling molecules that can affect your joints.
Supplements for muscles
Even if your main fitness goal is not to gain a lot of muscle, it is still important to look after the health of your muscles. You have more than 600 muscles in your body, and proper care prevents them from tearing or getting strained. Strong muscles also help keep your joints in place.
Protein
Protein is one of the most important supplements for muscle growth. Increased protein intake contributes to greater strength and muscle mass gain when coupled with resistance training and allows for greater muscle mass preservation when you are not working out and a nutritious diet.[1]
SolgarⓇ Whey to GoⓇ Protein Powder is formulated with a unique blend of whey protein isolate and whey protein concentrate. We use cross-flow microfiltration to optimize amino acid availability and absorption so that your muscles use the protein to its full effectiveness. Available in chocolate and vanilla flavors.
Other ways to help your muscles
Stretching after your workout: Although it can be tempting to just flop onto the couch after exercising, stretching is one of the most important parts of physical activity. Stretching keeps the muscles flexible, strong, and healthy. Without stretching, muscles become short and tight, inhibiting your range of motion.
Stay hydrated: Water provides essential electrolytes that are necessary for muscle growth and strength. When you exercise, your body uses more water than usual, so be sure to keep the H2O flowing.
Mindful breathing: When doing resistance exercises or strenuous physical activity, don’t forget to focus on breathing. A rule of thumb is to exhale during the most challenging part of the movement and inhale during the easier portion. For example, if you’re doing a pushup, you inhale as you go down and exhale as you go up. Mindful breathing helps to ensure that your muscles are getting the oxygen they need to work optimally.
Supplements for bone health
Building strong bones is extremely important. In addition to help building strong bones, it becomes equally as important to maintain their health over time. Thankfully, there are supplements that can help maintain bone strength and keep you doing the physical activity you enjoy.*
Calcium & Magnesium
Calcium is a mineral found in many foods. Almost all of the body’s calcium is contained in bones and teeth, where it supports their structure and hardness.* As you age, the efficiency of your calcium absorption from your digestive tract may decrease.[2] You will usually find magnesium in calcium supplements because magnesium plays a role in the regulation of calcium transport and is essential for bone mineralization.*
SolgarⓇ Calcium Magnesium Plus Zinc offers 1000 mg of calcium and 400 mg of magnesium per serving to help support healthy bones.* It also contains zinc, a trace mineral that plays a role in the synthesis of collagen in bone tissue.*
Other ways to help build and maintain strong bones
Get enough vitamin D: Vitamin D, also known as the sunshine vitamin, plays a key role in helping your body absorb calcium.* The sun is the primary source of vitamin D, but taking a vitamin D supplement, like this one, is also a great option – especially during the colder winter months.
Eat lots of vegetables: Vegetables provide many of the vitamins and minerals needed to maintain strong bones. They’re also a great source of vitamin C, which may help support collagen formation that contributes to joint and bone flexibility.[3]*
The bottom line
No matter how you like to do it, staying active is a crucial part of holistic health. Supporting energy production and taking care of your joints, muscles, and bones by taking the right supplements allows you to continue doing the physical activity you love.* To learn more about supplements that suit your lifestyle, or the latest health and wellness information, follow us on Instagram! (@solgar)
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
The information provided on this site is intended for your general knowledge only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. The information on this website is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Never disregard medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the Solgar® site.
