Dem Bones Dem Bones Dem Brittle Bones
It’s just a fact of life, as we age so many things change, we are not as strong as we once were or as fast, our eyesight worsens, maybe we can’t hear as well. It’s true that we lose bone as we age. Bone loss can cause osteoporosis, where bones can become so thin that they break. But does this have to happen?
Most people will reach their peak bone mass between the ages of 25 and 30. By the time we reach age 40, we slowly begin to lose bone mass. We can take steps to avoid severe bone loss over time. For most of us, bone loss can be significantly slowed through proper nutrition and regular exercise.
Gender plays a role in bone health: Men have a higher peak bone mass than women. Men accumulate more skeletal mass than women do during growth, and their bone width and size is greater. Because women have smaller bones with a thinner cortex and smaller diameter, they are more vulnerable to developing osteoporosis. Although men have a higher peak bone mass, they also are at risk for osteoporosis, especially after age 70 when bone loss and fracture risk increases significantly.
But our bone health today depends on how we took care of ourselves in our youth. Were you a smoker, did you party to all hours consuming many alcoholic beverages and eat unhealthy foods, and got little sleep? Wait, that sounds like my life. Yes, I did all those things when I was young, but I always drank milk.
There is no secret about keeping your bones healthy, like most things that have to do with your health, diet and exercise are the key. Although as with many medical conditions, family history is a key indicator of bone health. Those with a parent or sibling who has or had osteoporosis are more likely to develop it.
I have always said that when we reach our Golden Years that cardio exercise should be at the top of your list, mainly to keep your heart and lungs healthy. But strength exercise is also important. My main exercise is swimming but I also do push-ups and free weight exercises to round it off.
Let’s face it, until now you probably never even thought about bone health, not too many people do until they have a problem like breaking a bone, but you should. I never did, but when I started entering my Golden Years and decided to start taking better care of myself and started caring about total health and well being, well bone health fell into my agenda.
I am a big believer in vitamins and supplements, so for bone health, I take a calcium and vitamin D supplement and Magnesium for bone and muscle health. One thing to avoid eating is salt. Whether it comes from processed foods or the salt shaker, it can draw calcium from your bones.
