1. Move every day

Walking, cycling, swimming or dancing: it all counts. The recommendation is at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week (Source: British Journal of Sports Medicine). That is more than 20 minutes a day. Is the weather unpleasant outside? Take the stairs, walk around while on the phone or follow a short exercise video indoors.

2. Train your muscles twice a week

You don't need a gym. You can do these exercises at home:

• Standing up from a chair without using your hands. 10 times, 2 or 3 rounds.
• Walking up and down stairs at a steady pace, a few times up and down.
• Standing on your toes and slowly lowering yourself back down, while holding onto the kitchen counter.
• Wall push-ups: with your hands against the wall, bending and straightening your arms.

Start slowly and build up. Does something not feel right? Ask a physiotherapist to take a look.

3. Eat enough protein, spread throughout the day

Protein helps maintain muscle mass. For adults, the recommendation is approximately 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day. For people aged 65 and over, experts often recommend 1.0 to 1.2 grams (Source: JAMDA). Do you weigh 70 kilos? Then you need 70 to 85 grams of protein per day.

Spread it across your meals, with 20 to 25 grams per meal. Good sources are fish, meat, eggs, dairy, legumes and tofu. You can also easily supplement with:

• Plantforce Synergy Protein: 15 grams of plant-based protein per scoop. Delicious in a smoothie or mixed into your oatmeal.
• Bone Broth Collagen Organic: one scoop provides approximately 9 grams of protein. Stir it into soup, such as our winter lentil soup.

4. Pay attention to your vitamin D

From October to March inclusive, the sun is too low in the Netherlands. Your skin then produces hardly any vitamin D. Vitamin D contributes to the maintenance of normal bones and normal muscle function. It is found in oily fish, eggs and cod liver oil. Read more about winter and vitamin D in Your basic routine for winter.

5. Eat oily fish, or choose omega-3

Oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and herring provides the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. EPA and DHA contribute to normal heart function (with a daily intake of 250 mg). The advice is fish once a week, preferably oily fish. Need inspiration? Try our baked salmon with herb crust.

Don't eat fish? Plantforce Vegan Omega-3 Algae Oil provides 140 mg EPA and 420 mg DHA per daily dose, directly from algae.

Summary

Strong muscles are the best protection for your joints. Move every day, train twice a week, eat enough protein and pay attention to vitamin D in winter. You can find all the products from this theme month in the collection Muscles & Joints.