You can’t expect to lose fat at the fastest rate possible without resistance training. Time and again, the research has proven this.

But there is a catch, however. Exercising the wrong way can silently destroy your joints and surrounding connective tissue. This can happen even if you don’t feel a single ounce of pain.

So, without further ado, here is how to prevent joint damage when losing weight:

1. Get strong and flexible: Resistance training is a must for rapid weight loss. But you should also make sure you incorporate flexibility training as well. You see, a lot of injuries and joint misalignments are a direct result of inflexibility. Having said that, don’t skimp on the weights-they are critical.

2. Eat joint friendly foods: There are certain nutrients that your body uses to regenerate cartilage and connective tissue. You can get these nutrients from leafy greens and seafood. Or, you could supplement your diet with calcium and vitamin D.

3. Have the shells of shellfish: In supplemental form, of course. You see, the shells of shellfish have glucosamine sulfate-a substance shown to increase joint lubrication. And in some studies, it was even shown to regenerate joint cartilage.

4. Stay upright: Working from the seated position is a sure fire way to place excess stress on your lower back’s connective tissue. So make sure you remain upright as much as possible. And keep in mind that building a standing desk is very easy. If needed, you can always buy one.

5. Don’t smoke: Not only does smoking cause cancer, but it also weakens your bones. It does this by making them less dense. And less dense bones are more prone to breaking. Now you could potentially over supplement with calcium to try to offset this, but you are far better off not smoking altogether.

Preventing joint damage when losing weight is often overlooked, but can lead to some serious injuries that are only cured with surgery. So make sure you don’t delay with following this advice!