If you have a relative with rheumatoid arthritis or if you want to slow down the progression of the autoimmune disease, consider devising your own rheumatoid arthritis prevention plan.

Since rheumatoid arthritis is not a contagious disease and cannot be transmitted from person to person, rheumatoid arthritis prevention thankfully does not depend on avoiding people with the disease.

Rheumatoid arthritis prevention is about common sense, staying physically fit, maintaining a stress-free and smoke-free environment as well as reducing strain on joints.

People who are obese put greater strain on their weight-bearing joints making rheumatoid arthritis prevention virtually impossible. Studies show obese people tend to eat more refined, processed foods – a bad habit that does not mix with rheumatoid arthritis prevention.

As part of your own rheumatoid arthritis prevention plan drink more water. Water plays a major role in the lubrication of your joints. Furthermore, water makes up 70 percent of the cartilage in joints.

Next, as part of your rheumatoid arthritis prevention plan, adopt a healthy eating plan. Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, salmon and nuts. Cut down on high-fats including red meats and take mineral and vitamin supplements.

People with rheumatoid arthritis as well as those interested in prevention, may want to reduce repetitive strain on their joints and muscles. Rotate tasks throughout the day since forceful motions may contribute to rheumatoid arthritis.

Just as it's important to rotate work tasks on the job, it's critical for rheumatoid arthritis prevention that you cross-train when you exercise. A sedentary lifestyle will not help a person with rheumatoid arthritis or aid in prevention, although it is important to rest more during flair-ups.

If you are a woman with rheumatoid arthritis, exercise has been shown to help in the prevention of more severe disabilities.

In one Danish study, exercise helped strengthen the bones of women with rheumatoid arthritis who are at high risk of developing the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis.

According to the study Dr. Ole Rintek Madsen of Bispebjerg University in Copenhagen, Denmark, women with rheumatoid arthritis whose thigh muscles were strongest also had thighbones that were denser. His findings shed new light on rheumatoid arthritis prevention, suggesting exercise could help preserve bone strength in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Another piece of the rheumatoid arthritis prevention pie has to do with psychological health. When it comes to prevention of any disease, the reduction of stress is paramount.

Consider meditating, listening to relaxation tapes, deep breathing exercises, visualization and yoga. Yoga is ideal for rheumatoid arthritis prevention because it is not only relaxing, but yoga postures may help with flexibility and range of motion of joints.

The prevention of rheumatoid arthritis is no easy task because there are no medications or lifestyle changes that are guaranteed in the prevention of rheumatoid arthritis. Typically, it's after a person has been diagnosed with the disease that they take steps to control the disease.

At the same time, some prevention may be possible because researchers believe they have found certain links in terms of lowering the risk of getting rheumatoid arthritis.

One sure fire prevention measure is to stop smoking. Smoking was implicated as a possible cause of rheumatoid arthritis after several major studies including one published in the March 2000 issue of the Journal of Rheumatology.

Frederick Wolfe, M.D. studied both seropositive and seronegative rheumatoid arthritis patients. He found the rheumatoid factor values increase when correlated with duration of smoking. Also, results showed smokers are more often rheumatoid factor positive than nonsmokers, and the rheumatoid factor is associated with a more severe case of rheumatoid arthritis.

Finally, in creating your rheumatoid arthritis prevention plan, don't neglect the protection of your joints. Take advantage of technology and devices designed to make life easier for people because many tools may aid in rheumatoid arthritis prevention. If you are successful now in terms of your prevention strategies, you may never be forced to use canes, splints or rheumatoid arthritis coping tools.