Are Your Bones Too Brittle?
Bones provide the overall structure and connective tissue that
keeps our skin and other organs in place. Without bones, we
could not move or do most other things to lead a physically
active life. Missing, broken, or fractured bones are painful,
and they compromise our quality of life until they are repaired
or we learn to make do without them. That is why it is vitally
important to maintain healthy bones throughout our lives,
beginning from the time we are young and continuing through the
senior years.
Bones need calcium and other nutrients to get strong and remain
so. Lacking proper nutrition, they can grow soft or weak.
Eventually they begin to decay, which can lead to serious
problems like fractures, falls, and immobility as we age. As the
medical community becomes more knowledgeable about how to
protect human bones and keep them working better for longer
periods of time, they inform patients about simple but basic
lifestyle changes that can have a positive influence on our
skeletal framework.
Do you fall often? Are you prone to bone fractures or breakage?
Some people seem to have this natural tendency, while others
develop it over time. As a result of either type of condition,
we need to drink milk and perhaps even take calcium supplements
to build strong bones that will support our bodies for the rest
of our lives. Without calcium, bones may not be able to grow
adequately to bear our weight or sustain a tumble, which can
lead to an injury.
Ask your doctor what you can do at whatever stage of life you
are at to protect and preserve your bones. The doctor may
recommend a multivitamin supplement with minerals to provide all
the nourishment your body needs to stay healthy. Or you may
receive the recommendation to eat plenty of foods and beverages
that provide adequate nutrition for your bone health. These
probably will include two to three eight-ounce glasses of milk
each day, and perhaps more for nursing or pregnant women. Leafy
green vegetables like spinach may be helpful as well. Your
doctor can suggest the type of diet you should follow that will
address all your physical conditions and needs.
Weight-bearing exercise is another way to strengthen your bones
over time. Aim to get 30 minutes daily of moderate exercise like
walking, aerobics, or jogging to promote bone health and
strengthen them. Lose extra pounds and stay at your recommended
healthy size to prevent bone stress from carrying around
unneeded weight. To keep active, join a walkers' group or find
an exercise partner so you can help each other maintain physical
exercise accountability.
Following a general plan of overall health enhancement should
have a good effect on your bones, too. Ask your doctor for
specific foods and exercises you can try to keep your bone
network in great shape for years to come.