My Goals for the Next 12 Months

• Pain & function: reduce morning stiffness, improve range of motion, and walk comfortably most days.
• Flare control: fewer, shorter gout flares with a clear protocol I can execute.
• Recovery: better sleep quality and faster bounce-back after activity.
• Risk reduction: habits that may lower future claims and out-of-pocket costs.

My Baseline (So I Can Measure Progress)

I’m tracking a few simple metrics weekly:

• Mobility minutes (gentle daily routine, below)
• Step count (comfortable, not heroic)
• Sleep (bed/wake window, awakenings)
• Pain scale (0–10) + flare notes

My Daily Joint-Friendly Routine (10–20 minutes)

1. Warm-up (2–3 min): slow ankle circles, wrist circles, neck gentle turns; breathe through the nose.
2. Range of motion (4–6 min): cat-cow, hip hinges to a chair, shoulder openers against a wall.
3. Light strength (3–5 min): sit-to-stand from chair (2–3 sets), wall push-ups, mini calf raises.
4. Cooling move (1–2 min): easy doorway stretch or child’s pose.
5. Note-taking (30 sec): one line: pain today? stiffness? energy?

Tip: I schedule this right after morning coffee so it actually happens.

Anti-Inflammatory Eating (Simple, Flexible)

• Plate basics: mostly plants, lean proteins, olive oil, nuts/seeds; limit ultra-processed foods.
• Gout awareness: watch portions of high-purine foods and alcohol; hydrate consistently.
• Smart swaps: sparkling water for evening drinks; berries instead of sugary desserts; herbs/spices for flavor.

For ingredient education, I reference: NaturalHerbLibrary.com. For product exploration, I keep notes at SupplementsApothecary.com (educational, not medical advice).

Sleep & Recovery (Quiet Wins)

• Fixed wind-down alarm; lights and screens dim 60–90 minutes before bed.
• Cool, dark room; gentle nasal breathing practice for 2–3 minutes in bed.
• Short evening walk on stressful days to bleed off nervous energy.

My Flare Gameplan

• Pause intense loads, keep gentle range-of-motion so I don’t get rusty.
• Hydration and simple, low-irritant meals.
• Contact clinic if red flags or unusual intensity; confirm in-network options and urgent care hours.

On the insurance side, I check urgent-care copays and specialist access at OnlineHealthIns.com.

What I’ll Discuss With My Clinician

• Appropriate labs and imaging if symptoms change.
• Evidence-based medications and when to use them.
• Safe movement progressions and PT/OT referrals.
• Supplement interactions and safety.

My Weekly Checklist

• 4–7 mobility sessions
• 2–3 light strength sessions
• Hydration target met ≥5 days
• Sleep: consistent window 5+ nights
• Flare log updated (if any)