Categories: HEALTH & WELLNESS

How to Make Bones Stronger – Stop Osteoporosis in it Tracks

We all know that “milk does a body good,” but engaging in the proper kind of exercise can drastically strengthen bones, too.

For women, fortifying bones is especially important, as bone loss is much more common in women than men. Women at risk for the painful and debilitating bone disease osteoporosis include women of Caucasian or Asian race, smokers, having a familial history of osteoporosis or having a thin body or small frame.

Two kinds of exercise are recommended for building up bones: weight-bearing and strengthen-training. Weight-bearing activities train bones and muscles to hold your weight. Examples of this include walking, climbing stairs or any type of step, low-or high-impact aerobics. Essentially any activity where your feet hit the ground qualifies as a weight-bearing exercise.

Strength-training entails lifting, pulling or pushing on something to create resistance. This includes lifting free weights like ankle weights or using weight machines. To achieve the most out of your resistance training, you should exert just over the right amount of energy you would normally use lift the object. Lift to the point where you are actually working your muscles, but not straining them. Only lift what is feasible with your overall health and physical condition. In addition, you should not strength train everyday because the muscles exerted by the resistance exercises need 48 hours to rebuild and become stronger.

How does either type of exercise intensify bones exactly? Well, with weight-bearing, as the muscle gets bigger and stronger with more use, the bone gets denser and, in turn, stronger because of the added demands placed on it. Strengthen-training works similarly. The additional pull of the muscles on the bones tells your body to strengthen the bones so it can handle the extra stimulation.

Boss loss especially occurs in postmenopausal women. The lack of estrogen precipitates a loss in bone density. To combat this, besides exercise, women should take between 1200-1500 mg of calcium and 800 IU of vitamin D daily. A bone-building medication may also be necessary, although it is recommended to check with a doctor first.

Those already diagnosed with osteoporosis should be wary of performing certain types of exercise activities because of low bone density. The wrong type of exercise could actually cause a fracture in the bone. Consult with a doctor on the best exercise regimen to take part in before doing anything unaccompanied.

Building up bones isn’t just for women who have gone through menopause or those at risk for osteoporosis. It’s for anybody. Maintaining a healthy bone structure not only decreases the risk for bone loss but it stimulates bone formation as well as improves balance and coordination.

The bottom line is that it’s not too late to make your bones stronger.