How Can I Improve My Bone Health? 8 Lifestyle Tips

Why?

• Calcium forms the major component of strong bones.
• It has been found that Americans’ diets have insufficient daily calcium intake.

How?

• Get your calcium andVitamin Dlevels checked if you suspect your bones are weak.
• 绝经后women should make sure they get at least 1,200 milligrams of calcium from their dailydiet.
• Consider taking钙补充剂, such ascalcium carbonateor calcium citrate, if yourdietfails to supply an adequate amount of calcium.

Why?

• Vitamin Dhelps the body absorb calcium.
• At a young age, our skin produces enoughVitamin Don exposure to the sun, but this capacity decreases withaging.

How?

• Get your Vitamin D levels checked if reduced calcium levels are not improving even with an increase in your calcium intake.
• Spending time under the sun is one of the best ways to improve Vitamin D levels.
• 绝经后women should get at least 400 IU to 600 IU of Vitamin D daily for better bone health.
• Eat fatty fish, seafood, and look for foods fortified with Vitamin D.

Why?

• Apart from calcium, your bones are also made up of protein.
• Inadequate protein intake harms bone health in the elderly.
• A higherprotein dietincreases a key chemical that enhances bone health, improves intestinal calcium absorption, and improves muscle strength and mass, all of which may benefit the skeleton.

How?

• Eat high protein foods, such as lean meat, fish, eggs, and nuts.

Why?

• Fruits and vegetables are rich invitaminsand矿物质, some of which are necessary for bone healing after afracture. They have been shown to increasebone mineral density(BMD).
• A study showed that a dietary pattern rich in fruits and vegetables can reduce your chances of getting broken bones, especially hip fractures.

How?

• Replace the high-fat,sugar-loaded, and processed foods with vegetables and fruits.

Why?

• A complete lack of activity causes bone loss.
• Continued physical activity stimulates the strengthening of bone and muscle.
• Putting pressure/stresson the bones to work through weight-bearing exercises strengthens them.

How?

• You can start with simple activities likewalking, jogging, or weight training exercises.
• You should engage in at least 30 minutes (adults) of moderate physical activity every day.
• Core strengthening exercises should also be a part of your exercises. These include abdominal exercises, lower back exercises,yoga, andtai chi.

Why?

• Tobacco use and excessivealcoholconsumption contribute to bone loss.

How?

• Consume alcoholicdrinksin moderation (i.e., one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men).
• Get yourself enrolled in a program that can help youquit smoking.

Why?

• There are factors, such as certain medications you are taking for some other illness, that may weaken your bones. Some may causedizzinessand make you prone to falls. Talking about such things with your doctor can help preventosteoporosisand fractures.

How?

Asking some important questions to your doctor can help. Examples include:

• What is the best calcium to take?
• Am I taking on any medication that puts me at risk for falls or fractures?
• What should I do to prevent falls?
• What exercises are suitable for me and what are not?

Why?

• A BMD test is the only way that measures your bone health and lets you know whether you are at risk forosteoporosisand fractures.

How?

• You can ask your doctor if you can undergo a BMD test.
• A small, portable machine usesx射线to capture the bones present at the far ends of your skeleton, such as those in your finger, wrist, or heel.