Easy Ways to Strengthen Your Bones: How Diet and Exercise Tweaks Can Lower Your Risk for Developing Osteoporosis:
Recently I received the results from my Dexa scan which is a procedure done to determine the health of our bones. The test determined that I have a 7.3% chance of fracturing a bone over the next 10 years which puts me in the category of having osteopenia. Osteopenia is a precursor to developing full blown osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a condition that affects millions of people, mostly women over the age of 50, whereby our bones weaken due to the natural decrease in estrogen production in our bodies as we age. As a result, our bones become more susceptible to breaks. Genetics, taking certain medications and myriads of other factors can put someone at risk for the condition, but there are many proactive, healthy habits one can take on that can help stave off developing brittle bones. This realization got me brainstorming what I can suggest to my clients and what I can do myself to preserve bone health through diet and exercise without having to resort to medication in order to do so.
Let’s first talk about nutrition:
Women in menopause should aim to consume 1,200 mg of calcium a day. It is best to get our calcium primarily from diet. Here are some high calcium foods that I enjoy and that I find easy to add to what I eat throughout the day:
Chia seeds- These tiny black seeds contain 75 mg of calcium per teaspoon. I add a teaspoon to my smoothie every morning.
Yogurt- There are on average 25 mg of calcium in one tablespoon. I like to add a small amount of Greek vanilla non- fat yogurt to my morning smoothie. I find yogurt thickens the drink and keeps me feeling fuller longer.
Cheese- Who doesn’t like cheese? Parmesan packs the most punch. One ounce contains about 315 mg of calcium. I put a slice or 2 on my sandwich at lunchtime.
Almonds- One ounce or about 23 almonds has 80 mg of calcium. Pop a few as a late morning or early afternoon snack.
Leafy greens- For example kale (180 mg per 1 cup of cooked) or spinach (245 mg/1 cup cooked) are easy sides to add to your dinner plate. I crisp the kale leaves once they have been pulled from their stems in the oven with olive oil and salt for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Spinach, I cook in a skillet with olive oil, salt and a little bit of water. If you find that you are having trouble getting enough calcium through diet, then you can add a calcium supplement. I take 600 mg of a calcium supplement a day.
Now let’s dive into the many different categories of exercises that can help us fight osteoporosis:
The first is strength training or lifting heavy weights. In the past women would shy away from this type of exercise because we didn’t want to develop muscles that made us look too masculine. But now we are learning that weight-bearing exercises will not make us grow huge muscles like those of a man’s or a competitive weightlifter’s and are the key to helping us remain active into our 50’s and beyond. Here is the science behind the reasons why we should lift as heavy weights as possible.
Doing so promotes bone formation. When you lift a weight that to you feels heavy what is happening is your muscles are pulling on your bones, creating stress. This signals your body to build stronger bones.
It also decreases bone loss. Regular strength training has been shown to reduce the rate at which our bones break down. Areas most susceptible to fractures such as the spine, hips, and wrists benefit the most.
It improves balance. Strength training literally grows your muscles. Having more muscle strength enhances your stability, and coordination, which reduces your tendency for a fall. Falls are a leading cause of fractures in individuals with osteopenia and osteoporosis.
Lastly, as pointed out above, lifting weights enhances muscle mass. This is key because stronger muscles are more able to support your skeletal system. With stronger muscle support the strain on your bones is reduced, decreasing the likelihood of injury. Here are a few examples of the best strength training exercises you can do regularly to promote bone health.
Squats are a key component in any workout regimen. Whether you do goblet squats, sumo squats, or heeled raised squats, you are building muscle primarily in your quads and glutes. Deadlifts strengthen your hamstrings and chest presses work on your pecs. Shoulder presses build up your anterior deltoids and your triceps. Lateral pull-downs target your latissimus dorsi, the muscles that make up your middle and lower back.
The second type of exercises that increase bone density are those done with just your body weight. A few of the most common are dips from a chair, push-ups from your knees, forward, side and reverse lunges and step-ups.
Another category of exercises that enhance bone health is working with resistance bands. These types of movements put stress on bones and muscles but do so without excess impact. At Wardville Workouts, we have all sizes and elasticities of bands for a full body, bone health promotion workout.
Lastly, balance and stability exercises are a key component of any osteoporosis prevention routine. The more stable a person is on his or her feet, the less the change they have of falling. Here are a few tried and true moves I like to include in my private training sessions with clients. The first is the agility ladder where a client moves quickly through rungs on a ladder on the gym floor. Another is playing catch with a 10 or 15 lb ball. Catch improves hand eye coordination. I challenge the clients I train in pairs to throw the ball back and forth 30 times without dropping it and if they do, they have to begin again. Adding a little challenge to a workout always heightens results. Next up, skater jumps, where a client jumps from side-to-side landing on one foot and then the other while also swinging their arms, work on dynamic balance. Dynamic balance is the ability to maintain stability and control while moving back and forth. Lastly, simply marching in place while swinging your arms and shifting your weight side to side enhances coordination and reduces your risk for a fall.
Conclusion
Osteoporosis is a condition that will affect us all at some point in our lives. However, with a few tweaks to your diet and by adding bone strengthening exercises to your routine, you give yourself the best shot at postponing the inevitable for as long as possible. So, eat more calcium rich foods and get in the gym lifting weights, working with resistance bands and engaging in balance and coordination exercises. Your bones will thank you for it!