Bone Health and Your Age
Why You Should Be Worried About Your Bone Health As You Get Older
Did you know that after 30, our bones begin to lose density and strength? Our bodies are constantly breaking down old bone and rebuilding it. We increase bone density when we exercise, eat calcium-rich foods, avoid alcohol or tobacco, and get lots of sunlight.
If you’re in your 20s or 30s, this may not seem like a problem. But as we all know, life happens. It’s easy to put off the small changes that can have big impact later on, especially when it comes to our health.
When you’re young, your bones are essentially still growing and developing density and strength. This is why adolescence is peak time for broken bones — because teens are still growing!
But what about adulthood? What about the time after 40 when many of us start thinking about buying retirement homes with indoor grass golf greens? The truth is that any type of stress on our bones increases risk for osteoporosis later in life — especially if we don’t take active steps to counteract those risks now.
What Is Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a degenerative bone condition caused by reduced bone density and deterioration of bone tissue, making bones more fragile and susceptible to breaks. It most commonly affects post-menopausal women, although it can affect anyone at any age.
Bone tissue is a living tissue, and it is constantly being broken down and built up. This process of breakdown and buildup is called “bone remodeling,” and it’s regulated by a complex system of hormones and nutrients. That’s why when you get older, and you reach the milestone of either Andropause or Menopause, these hormones that maintain our bone health dwindle and we develop conditions like brittle bones or osteoporosis.
When bone remodeling goes out of whack, bone can be broken down faster than it can be built up. This leads to a loss of bone density, and a greater risk of fractures as well as other health issues.
Read more about Osteoporosis in this article-
Why Should You Be Concerned About Bone Health?
As we’ve already discussed, your bones are living and breathing structures. The older you get, the less likely it is that they’ll get the nutrients they need to stay strong and healthy.
When you’re younger, this doesn’t seem like a big deal. After all, we have the rest of our lives to get our act together. The problem is that while we’re blissfully unaware, our bodies are quietly slipping.
The reality is that if you don’t do something right now to combat some of the most common factors that cause bone loss, you could be looking at a future where you’re more likely to be housebound or in a care facility — or even in a wheelchair.
Luckily, doing something now could make a huge difference in your long-term health and well-being.
If at any time you are concerned about bone health, get a bone mineral density [BMD] test done. To know more about BMD, read this article-
8 Things That Can Worsen Your Bone Health
- Smoking — Smoking reduces blood flow to your bones, which limits the amount of nutrients and minerals they get. It can also cause your bones to become thinner and less dense.
- Stress — When we are stressed, our bodies produce high levels of hormones like cortisol. Cortisol affects our bones by making them more brittle and porous.
- Lack of Exercise — Exercise helps strengthen bones by stimulating the release of hormones that regulate bone metabolism, absorption, and formation.
- Poor Diet — Eating a diet low in calcium, vitamin D, protein, and other nutrients that are required for healthy bone development can significantly increase your risk of osteoporosis. Read more on diet in this article-
- Medications — Certain medications, particularly corticosteroids and anticonvulsants, can increase your risk for low bone density.
- Alcohol — Heavy drinking can increase the excretion of calcium in your urine and increase your risk for osteoporosis.
- Diet Soda — Recent studies have suggested that the high acidity of diet soda may increase your risk for bone loss.
- Vitamin D Deficiency — Vitamin D deficiency is a major risk factor for osteoporosis. Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium, which is essential for bone health.
5 Ways to Build Stronger Bones
- Keep Moving — Exercise stimulates the tissues and cells responsible for building bones, so moving regularly can help reduce your risk of osteoporosis.
- Stay hydrated — Drinking plenty of water is essential for healthy bone formation — particularly if you’re middle-aged or older.
- Get enough calcium — Eat lots of calcium-rich foods like milk and yogurt. You should be getting around 1,200 milligrams of calcium a day.
- Supplement strategically — Taking a calcium supplement that contains vitamin D can help boost your bone health.
- Talk to your doctor — If you have a family history of osteoporosis, or if you’re taking medications that could increase your risk, it’s important to talk to your doctor about getting tested.
3 Exercises to Help Strengthen Your Bones
- Weight-bearing Exercises — These increase the amount of force placed on your bones, helping to strengthen them. Weight-bearing exercises include walking, jogging, hiking, dancing, stair climbing, and aerobic exercise.
- Resistance Exercises — These involve lifting and moving weighted objects to build muscle strength. They also help strengthen bones and muscles.
- Stabilization Exercises — These focus on maintaining a balanced and upright posture while doing simple exercises like standing on one leg while holding your arms out, doing leg lifts while lying on your back, and balancing on one leg while raising your knee to your chest. It’s also important to make sure you have good posture throughout the day. You can strengthen your bones even while sitting at your desk or standing in line at the grocery store.
Conclusion
Keeping your bones strong and healthy is essential for a long and happy life. Luckily, most of it can be done simply with diet and exercise. When it comes to your bones, it’s never too soon to start taking better care of yourself.
With these tips, you can make sure that you’re doing everything you can to prevent or reverse osteoporosis and keep yourself healthy and active for life.
Don’t wait until you’re 50 to start taking care of yourself. Start now, and you’ll be thanking yourself years from now.
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