Your bones literally make up the skeleton of your body and it’s vital that you treat your support system with as much respect as you can. This will ensure that you’re going to have a strong and healthy progression into adulthood, and as you move into older age.
Whether you’re an adolescent or in your twilight years, good bone health is always going to be important for you. We’ve outlined a few simple measures that you can take in order to ensure that your bones are in optimal health.
Get enough Calcium and Vitamin D every day
This is a huge and important factor in your bone’s health. As the body doesn’t produce calcium naturally, you need to ensure that you’re taking in enough calcium, either through calcium supplements made from algae or from your diet as well.
Vitamin D can be taken as a supplement or can be absorbed purely from the sun – but it’s important to ensure that you’re sunsmart while you’re getting your daily dose of Vitamin D.
Other ways that you can get plenty of calcium and Vitamin D are:
- Add a yoghurt or milk drink into your daily routine – perhaps have some Greek yoghurt on your cereal in the morning, or enjoy a hot chocolate made on skim milk in the afternoon.
- Get plenty of leafy greens in your diet – like bok choy and broccoli – as these are high in calcium and promote great strong bones.
- If you’re worried about getting enough calcium and Vitamin D, why not try consuming food with a fortified boost? You’ll find there are plenty of juices, milks, and milk alternatives that are bolstered with calcium and Vitamin D for your health.
- Take a calcium supplement or a Vitamin D supplement (but don’t consume more than you need).
Work your bones
In order to have a strong skeleton, you need to work it out which means that you should be doing weight-bearing and muscle strengthening exercises. Doing a bone strengthening workout will mean that your bones are being tested and are developing the strength they need. You can get lots of this kind of exercise incidentally, so take a look at some options for you here:
- Take a walk – if you’re heading to the shop for a coffee why not ditch the car and take a stroll instead? Walking is good for your bones.
- Pop some muscle strengthening and resistance exercises into your daily workout. You can use light dumbbells to create resistance, which is great for a healthy musculoskeletal system.
- Enjoy some group exercise or light fitness with friends – this will make it enjoyable for you and will make it feel less like work.
- Head out dancing – this is a great way to reach your fitness goals and to get the exercise that you need.
Have a healthy lifestyle
If you have a healthy body, you’re going to be far more successful in keeping your bones strong and capable. Follow a couple of our simple tips to get your health pumping:
- Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables every day.
- If you’re a smoker, take the steps to quit. Speak to your healthcare provider about the right plan for you.
- Drink only in moderation and in the recommended amounts as dictated by your physician.
- Avoid salty and processed foods as they are bad for blood pressure and overall health.
- Learn about your personal risks for osteoporosis and then avoid any lifestyle factors that may place you at risk.
These are just a couple of ways that you can work to make sure that you’re managing your risk of osteoporosis by optimising your bone health. By taking a proactive role in your health, you’re going to ensure that your life is free of possible bone fractures, compromised mobility and overall loss of quality of life due to a treatable and preventable condition.
