If you are over sixty-five and have heard a lot about decreasing bone density and hence their increased fragility, you have heard a fact. However, it does not mean in any way that you cannot manage the symptoms and make declining bone health better for you while maintaining the quality of your life. Starting from modifying your house to prevent falls, you can take a host of steps to take care of your bone health. Let’s take a look.
Strength training builds more than muscles
Studies have shown that strength training plays a role in slowing down bone loss and some of them even go on to show how it can lead to the denser bone. This is helpful in offsetting the age-related decline in bone density. In strength training we exercise our muscles, putting stress on bones- this pushes the bone-forming cells into action and they lay down stronger denser bones.
Even aerobic activities have shown to improve bone density. With strength training, we target the bones of hips, wrists and spine which are most likely to get fractured during any mishap. Strength training also goes on to enhance the stability of these bones- which means fewer falls and hence better bone health.
Primary Medical Care Center for Seniors in Boynton Beach has several trainers and qualified doctors to understand your condition and advise on the kind of strength training exercise you must undertake.
Some of the activities that can be of help apart from strength training:
- Walking
- Water Aerobics
- Ballroom and Line Dancing
- Riding a bike on a level ground
- Playing sport- doubles tennis, squash etc.
- Mowing the law with a mower
Activities for balance and flexibility are recommended to avoid falls. Yoga and Taichi are known to act on body stiffness and relieve painful joints. A sedentary lifestyle that involves sitting continuously for hours on end must be avoided. If you realize you have been sitting for more than 20 minutes, you must get up and walk around. It is important to remember that our bodies were built for movement.
Diet for Healthy Bones
The decrease in appetite as one grows older is understandable. However, within the little diet, you take, you must include all nutrients necessary for thriving in your body. With respect to bones, here are the keystones.
- Calcium is associated with healthy bones and teeth
- Vitamin D helps our bodies absorb calcium’
- Protein is important for muscle maintenance
Once you understand these basic principles, it is easier to incorporate these elements into your diet. Mediterranean diet- which is high in vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, beans, cereals, grains, fish and unsaturated fats such as olive oil. The thumb rule is low intake of meat and dairy foods. Research has shown that the population which consumes the Mediterranean diet has a lower risk of heart diseases and hence better quality of lives.
Primary Medical Care Center for Seniors in Boynton Beach has qualified nutritionists to help you chart out a diet plan specific to you.
When it comes to Vitamin D the most important source is the sun. However, you can also have vitamin D as a supplement if need be.
Here are a few lifestyle changes to help you achieve better bone health:
- Quit smoking. Smoking tobacco has been known to cause an imbalance in the mechanisms of bone turnover, leading to lower bone mass and bone mineral density
- Get your eyes checked: Poor eyesight is responsible for falls more often than not. Therefore, make it a point to get your eyes checked twice every year.
- Ears are not only the seat of hearing but also of the body’s balance. Get them checked as well.
- Any kind of condition associated with foot must be attended to immediately to avoid any adverse effect on a senior’s mobility.