Episode 4 Joint Pain After 50| How to Keep Moving and Stay Strong and in Control
Joint Pain After 50: How to Keep Moving, Strong and In Control
In this episode, Ginny talks honestly about joint pain in midlife — not just knees, but hips, shoulders, backs, hands, and more — and why pain doesn’t have to mean giving up your independence, confidence, or active life.
Through the lens of a New Year and fresh start, Ginny shares both her professional insight as a nutritionist and trainer and her personal journey through back surgeries, knee reconstruction, and preparing for future hip replacements.
This is a practical, compassionate conversation about what really helps when your body starts pushing back.
In this episode, Ginny covers:
- Why joint pain is not simply “wear and tear.”
- How sedentary living can increase arthritis risk just as much as high activity
- The role of oestrogen loss and inflammaging in joint pain
- Why movement is essential for joint lubrication (synovial fluid)
- How strengthening muscles around joints protects knees and hips
- How to keep exercising even when running or walking becomes painful
- Why inactivity increases low mood — and pain sensitivity
- How to modify strength training safely with bands, TRX, and support
- Why daily movement matters more than intensity
- How food choices affect inflammation and joint health
- The importance of fruit, vegetables, fibre, omega-3s, protein, and hydration
- Why high-fat, high-sugar foods and alcohol worsen joint pain
- How visceral fat drives inflammation throughout the body
- Why weight loss (if applicable) reduces joint stress dramatically
- Supplements that 'may' help — and which expensive ones to avoid
- The potential role of vitamin D, omega-3s, turmeric, glucosamine, MSM, and HRT
- How negative thought loops increase suffering — and how to reframe them
- Why focusing on what you can do changes outcomes
- How chair yoga, pool work, cycling, and exercise “snacks” all count
Books mentioned in this episode:
- Arthritis: What Exercises Work Dava Sobel, Arthur C Klein – an older but still very practical resource for joint-safe movement
- Rethink Your Position Katy Bowman– excellent for posture, alignment, and pain reduction through everyday movement
Ginny’s key message:
Joint pain does not mean the beginning of the end. Strength, movement, nutrition, mindset, and small daily choices all play a powerful role in how your body feels — now and in the future.
Even if all you can do is chair-based movement, that still matters.
Resources & next steps:
- Download Ginny’s free nutrition guide to support weight loss and inflammation reduction
- Join the end-of-month workshop on food and weight loss.
- Explore the lose 10kg in 12-weeks challenge if weight loss is part of your joint pain journey
- Escape the NZ winter and reset in beautiful northern Bali this July
As always, Ginny invites you to message her with questions — or simply to check in and share how you’re doing.
👉 Next week:
As part of the New Year, fresh start theme, Ginny will be talking about habit trackers — how to use them, what to put on them, and why they’re so effective. 💚