Although some exercises, such as gymnastics or jogging, can strain your joints, light exercise is a great way to strengthen your joints and improve joint flexibility. You could walk, do light aerobics, practice yoga, go swimming, or do tai chi. Try to do range of motion stretches every day and do strengthening exercises, such as weight lifting, 3 times a week. If you sit or stand in the same position for a long period of time, try to move about every 15 minutes. This will prevent joint pain and improve your range of motion. For example, if you're curled up on the couch watching a movie, just stand up and stretch your shoulders, arms, legs, and ankles. You should also take a stretching break whenever your joints feel tired or tight and you've been stationary for a while. If you're in the habit of slumping over or slouching, you may be putting unnecessary pressure on your joints. To protect your neck, back, hips, and knees, imagine your body forming a straight line from your ears to your heels when you stand. Draw your shoulders back to bring your chest forward. To sit: Place a cushion behind your lower back for support and sit with your knees at a 90-degree angle. Remember to straighten your back and pull your shoulders back. Recognize that pushing yourself too hard can make your arthritis pain flare up. Instead, plan for physical activity and build short break times into it so you can balance the activity. For example, if you're going to swimming class, rest up properly the night before and don't be afraid to take a break during or after the session. Remember to go easy on yourself. Give yourself extra time to get places or accomplish things and realize that it's alright to stop and take a break. Carrying extra weight will put more stress on your joints and increase inflammation which can be painful. Consider working with your doctor to come up with a personalized diet and exercise plan to lose weight. You might notice that losing a few pounds will reduce pressure on your joints that causes swelling.

Summary: Exercise to reduce pain and improve your range of movement. Take frequent movement breaks throughout the day. Practice good posture when you sit or stand. Pace physical movement with rest breaks. Try to lose weight if you're overweight.

Depending on the amount of sun your plants receive, you may have to water them as often as every day. Fertilizer helps the kale grow strong and robust and keeps it producing healthy, sweet leaves. Make sure that the kale is at least six inches tall before you mulch your plants. Mulching helps prevent wet soil from sticking to leaves and molding them. Doing so helps to reduce the chance of harmful pests. The plant should be at least eight inches tall before you harvest the leaves. Be aware that growing time varies according to each variety, so be sure to look up the appropriate time before harvesting. Pick off the outside leaves first if just harvesting individual leaves. If harvesting the entire plant, cut the stem down to about two inches above the soil with one clean cut. This will allow the plant to continue to produce leaves. Don't leave the leaves on the plant for too long after they are ready for harvest. Doing so will produce bitter, tough leaves.

Summary: Keep the soil around your kale plants moist. Fertilize your kale plants during the growing season every six to eight weeks. Put mulch around the kale if the leaves are rotting or appear discolored. Pick off any discolored or withered leaves when they appear. Harvest the kale about 70-95 days after sowing and 55-75 days after transferring to your garden. Enjoy your fresh kale!

If you grew up on a meat and potatoes diet and don't have much experience with chiles, allow your body to grow accustomed to spiciness slowly. Add a little spice to common foods in your current diet. Add a shake of red pepper flakes to your soup, or put a splash of hot sauce in your ketchup. Serve diced peppers, or a chile-based sauce, on the side, and add it to your food as you eat. This gives you maximum control over the spiciness. If your buddy chows down on ghost peppers while you nibble on a bell pepper, it is likely that he has built up a tolerance for capsaicin over time. Slowly but steadily move up the ladder from milder to spicier chiles. You can train your body to adapt to hot weather, and you can do the same with hot chiles. The Scoville Scale is the standard guide for heat in chiles. The more Scoville units, the more capsaicin, the spicier the chile. Use it as a guide on what chile to try next. Instead of thinking you can get the pain all over with at once by popping the whole pepper, take smaller bites, especially as you build up your tolerance. Dole out the capsaicin in smaller doses so your body can absorb it more efficiently. If you don't overwhelm your taste buds with heat, you'll be better able to appreciate the range of flavors in spicy dishes. Everybody is different. Like the guy who can drink you under the table without seeming the least bit buzzed or your friend who can eat as much as she wants without gaining a pound, some people can simply tolerate spicy foods better than others. The idea of "no pain, no gain" might urge you forward, but use common sense in deciding when you've maxed out your body's adaptability to spiciness. If you seem to have reached a plateau as you work your way up the Scoville Scale, you may just want to accept that as your limit. Think of all the spicy foods you've already added to your eating repertoire.
Summary: Start small. Move up the heat ladder. Eat slowly and savor the spice. Don't force it.