In this post, we are throwing you a bone, so that you won’t have to work your fingers to the bone whilst trying to keep your backbone strong!
Osteopo…what???:
Osteoporosis is a condition where your bones lose strength, making you more likely to fracture (break) a bone. Osteoporosis is typically painless but it’s the resultant fractures that causes pain.
It’s never too late to start taking action to keep your bones healthy or reduce your risk of fractures. Bone health is about getting some basics right and here we explore some points to help that process along:
- Maintain a healthy body weight. Being overweight OR underweight won’t be helpful for your bone strength.
- Lead an active lifestyle.
Your bones are living tissues and they respond to the demand placed on them. This means that staying active helps to make your bones stronger as they get used to working a bit harder.
- Eat well.
Include foods rich in Calcium and Vitamin D (see point below!) in your diet- they really help to keep your bones healthy.
- Get your Vitamin D dose.
Vitamin D helps to drive Calcium into your bones, so take that shirt off this summer and enjoy the sunshine on your skin (for 20-30 minutes without sunblock please!) Vitamin D supplements are a fab way of boosting your levels if you aren’t a sun lover or don’t get into the sun for that length of time most days.
- Avoid smoking
Smoking slows down the work of the helpful cells in our body that build bone. It’s never too late to stop- your body will kickstart those bone building cells again as soon as you do.
- Drink alcohol in moderation
Apart from making you unsteady on your feet and more prone to falling over (if you have had one too many tipples!), alcohol is also known to increase the risk of developing Osteoporosis. Stick to the guidelines of less than 14 units per week.
Interested in calculating your own personal risk of developing Osteoporosis?
Click here:
https://theros.org.uk/risk-checker/?campaign=77a866ee-c708-ed11-82e5-0022481b5a28
If you feel worried about your bone health and would like a scan to measure your bone density, then please mention this to your therapist and they can discuss the possibility of a DEXA scan with you.
