If you're a martyr to aches and pains, try our six-point plan to stay feeling young and flexible

More to read: pain and how to cope with it

Stay healthy as you get older

It's always easier said than done, but knowing that your knees absorb a force equal to three to four times your body weight with each step is a great reason to make sure you're not carrying any more than you should be. A study at Wake Forest University in the USA, found that for every pound of weight people could lose, they would put four pounds less pressure on their knees with each stride - and their pain was reduced by 30 per cent. Dropping 10lb could spare each knee 48lb of pressure for every mile you walk.

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It's time to get up and about. Exercise will help with weight loss and also increase the strength and flexibility in your joints. Take a yoga class and use weight-bearing exercise to build up the muscles that protect your joints. Exercises that work the quadriceps (the muscles covering the front of your thighs), such as cycling, help stabilise and control the knee joint. Swimming is also a great way to maintain muscle tone without putting too much pressure on sore joints.

More to read: exercise guide, including swimming, yoga and more

Oily fish, nuts, seeds, berries and broccoli all have natural anti-inflammatory (painkilling) qualities. ‘So ensure you pack your diet with these,' says nutritional therapist Fleur Brown. ‘Avoid refined grains (such as cornflakes, white bread, pasta), packaged and processed meals containing vegetable fats (such as corn oil), citrus fruits, cold meats, bacon, and sausages that contain preservative nitrates, and fatty red meat. These foods all stimulate inflammation and pain.'

Give sore joints a break without the side effects of painkillers and corticosteroids, by using essential fatty acids and the herbal remedy Devil's Claw.
● Fish oils are anti-inflammatory, but choose supplements carefully. Taking a supplement like Solgar's Omega 3 700 (£12 for 30, from health stores) daily is the equivalent to 15 cod liver oil supplements, according to nutritionist Paul Norwood.
● Celadrin is a strong form of fatty acid that's powerful enough to take when you would normally be reaching for the ibuprofen. It reduces pain and inflammation without the side effects of taking painkillers long term, such as stomach irritation and headaches. Try Solgar Celadrin and Glucosamine Complex (£28.95 for 60) - it's a good combination for pain relief that will also help to heal damaged tissue.
●  Devil's claw is the herbal equivalent to corticosteroids for joint pain and is safe to take long term. Use a licensed herbal medicine, such as A Vogel's Atrosan Devil's Claw tablets (£8.95 for 30, www.avogel.co.uk), which are specially coated to protect the active ingredients from stomach enzymes.

More to read: alternative pain remedies

‘It's OK to combine the nutrients mentioned, but if your body isn't able to process them, because you're deficient in zinc, copper, magnesium or vitamin B6, it's a waste of money. So taking a multivitamin (such as Biocare's Adult MultiVitamins and Minerals, £9.05 for 30 capsules, from www.nutricentre.com) is a priority,' says Paul Norwood.