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Lifestyle
The lifestyle one leads has impact on the wellness of
the bones. A sedentary lifestyle with little or no physical
activity, unhealthy diet, and high consumption of alcohol
and tobacco is, of course, not healthy for the bones.
One can make a positive impact by cutting down on tobacco
and alcohol consumption, eating healthy (including foods
with a high content of calcium/vitamin D) and by exercising
regularly. Many people have desk-jobs and work long
hours. But even at work one can maintain the wellness
of the bones with some simple measures:
 Have
a glass of milk instead of coffee or soda for breakfast
or lunch
Put
real milk on the coffee or tea instead of non-dairy
creamer
If taking
calcium supplements, take it with lunch
(calcium is best absorbed when taken with
food)
It is even possible to fit some exercise into a busy
work schedule
Park the car further away than usual and walk the last
distance
Get off the bus or subway a couple of stops early and
walk
Take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator
Use part of the lunch break to go for a walk
Good posture and correct movements are vital for the
wellness of your bones
Stand up straight - shoulders back, head up
Wear supportive shoes
Sit up straight - use a chair with good back support
Lift with your knees, not your back
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Diet
The diet is a very important aspect of preventing low
bone mass. Again, calcium and vitamin D are important
nutrients when building and maintaining strong bones.
Certain foods contain more calcium and vitamin D than
others. Milk, of course, is one of these foods items.
According to the National Institutes of Health, children
are drinking more soft drinks and more non-citrus drinks
than they used to; meanwhile, milk consumption has dropped.
Pediatricians are also seeing the re-emergence of rickets,
a bone disease that results from low levels of vitamin
D. Rickets became almost nonexistent after vitamin D
was added to milk in the 1950s, but is now appearing
at greater rates around the country.
Only 13.5% of girls and 36.3% of boys age 12 to 19 in
the United States get the recommended daily amount of
calcium*. *NIH News Release, ""Calcium Crisis" Affects
American Youth", National Institutes of Health, Dec.
10. 2001.
Other calcium rich foods include:
yogurt, cheese, vanilla ice cream, certain fish and
shellfish (e.g. sardines, salmon, shrimp), certain vegetables
(e.g. broccoli), soybeans, tofu, oranges, dried figs,
almonds, sunflower seeds
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Calcium
Calcium and vitamin D play a central part in the wellness
of bones.
Calcium
is needed by the body for heart, muscle and nerves to
function correctly, for blood to clot and for the bones
to grow strong. Low calcium intake throughout life has
been shown to contribute to low bone mass and higher
risk of a fracture.
A balanced diet helps the body absorb calcium but high
levels of protein and salt (sodium) are believed to
increase calcium excretion through the kidneys. Therefore,
excessive amounts of protein and salt (sodium) should
be avoided, especially if one has low bone density.
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Vitamin D
Vitamin D is used by the body to absorb calcium. Without
sufficient vitamin D, the body is forced to take the
calcium it needs from the skeleton. This both weakens
the existing bones but also prevents the formation of
new and strong bone.
The daily recommended dose of vitamin D is between 400
and 800 International Units (IU). The body can obtain
the calcium it needs in two ways; through the skin or
from the diet. 15 minutes in the sun each day is enough
for the body to manufacture and store the vitamin D
it needs. In case a person is not able to spend 15 minutes
a day in the sun, vitamin D can also be obtained through
vitamin D-rich foods such as egg yolks, saltwater fish
and liver.
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Exercise
Bone, like muscle, is living tissue that responds to
exercise by becoming stronger. Before peak bone mass
is reached exercise is an important factor in achieving
a high peak bone mass. People who exercise generally
reach a higher peak bone mass than those who do not.
After peak bone mass has been reached at around 30 years
of age, the reason for exercising is no longer to help
build bone but to help slow down bone loss.
While almost any kind of exercise is good for the body
in general, the best exercise for the bones is weight
bearing exercise. Weight bearing exercise forces the
body to work against gravity. Stair climbing, tennis,
hiking, walking, running, dancing, etc. are all excellent
exercises for the bones. Non-weight bearing exercises
such as bicycling or swimming have other benefits for
the body but do not help strengthen the bones.
If the patient has critically low bone mass, it is important
to avoid high-impact exercises and flexing, twisting
or bending the spine. This helps lowering the risk breaking
a bone.
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