Improve Bone Health
Our skeleton is also extremely efficient, despite supporting the weight of our entire body. The dry weight of a healthy human skeleton averages only around 7% of total body mass – so blaming excess weight on ‘big bones’ is not exactly an excuse!
For a relatively light structure the skeleton is also very strong, particularly under compressing loads. With age though comes the potential for weakness in our bones. That’s why it’s important to start taking steps to improve or maintain your bone density as early as possible, particularly for women where reduction in bone density can start early in life.
OSTEOPENIA
Osteopenia is the precursor to Osteoporosis and is characterized by the decrease in bone cell density. This can be due to a number of factors such as physical inactivity, a history of eating disorders, poor diet or nutrient absorption (specifically lack of Calcium and Vitamin D) and smoking. Females are more at risk than males due to hormonal differences, particularly during menopause.
OSTEOPOROSIS
A reduction in bone density can eventually lead to Osteoporosis and may result in a higher incidence of fractures and postural deformities. Until a sudden trauma or incident, you may not even know that you are at risk or that your bone density has decreased.
If you feel you may be at risk you can evaluate your bone mineral density with very good accuracy by undertaking a DEXA scan.
EARLY PREVENTION
Maintenance of bone density is preferable to trying to address the problem after symptoms have already presented, so there are some key strategies to consider to maintain healthy bones:
Calcium
Getting adequate calcium from dairy or fish with edible bones such as sardines can assist in strengthening bone. Vegans may opt for spinach, kale and almonds.
Vitamin D
Exposure to the sun in small doses is essential for Vitamin D, but it’s extremely important not to overdo it and risk sunburn and skin cancers.
Exercise
Exercise is also critical to bone health and should involve impact or ground force. Activities like running and resistance training in the gym provide the necessary force to strengthen bone. With adequate nutrition our bones strengthen in response to the lines of force generated by these activities, becoming stronger and less prone to fracture.
Activities like swimming or cycling, while good for general fitness, are not appropriate to improve bone density because they lack impact. A personal trainer will be able to assist with exercises that are most appropriate for you.