It’s no surprise that as you get older, parts of your body begin to deteriorate. Your joints are one of those areas in your body that are at a high risk for wear and tear. But did you know your bones become weaker as well? Even though this is inevitable as you age, there are steps you can take to ensure strong and healthy bones.
At TruWell Health, we specialize in keeping your bones and joints in great condition, especially as you get older. Dr. Lora Brown and Dr. Michael MacMillan, our two orthopedic specialists, offer many different treatment options if your bone health isn’t optimal.
As you can imagine, your bones are an extremely important component in your body. Not only do they give your body its shape, but they also allow you to move and function. Bones also protect important parts of your body, like your spinal cord and your heart.
So you can see why keeping your bones strong is vital for everyday life. But they don’t just protect your organs and allow you to move; your bones also store the ever-so-important mineral calcium in them.
Calcium is needed to keep your bones healthy and strong, but is also extremely vital for the cells in your body to function properly. The marrow inside your bones makes all of the blood and bone cells your body needs.
Unfortunately, as you age, your bone health deteriorates because of the natural change in bone metabolism. Your bones continuously break down and rebuild themselves throughout your lifetime. But as you get older, you lose more bone than you rebuild, which can lead to a condition called osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis is a bone disease that leads to very fragile and brittle bones. It’s caused when your bones don’t rebuild new bone tissue as quickly as it loses the old bone tissue. This condition weakens your bones significantly, leading to a very high risk of fractures.
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to decrease your risk of osteoporosis and srengthen your bones.
The good news about bone health is that there are a lot of little things you can do to not only strengthen your bones, but decrease your risk of osteoporosis as well. The following are some lifestyle tips for increasing your bone health.
Calcium is essential to the growth of your bones, so getting plenty of it in your diet is key to good bone health. Foods that contain a lot of calcium include broccoli, dairy products, and almonds.
Vitamin D is essential for many functions in your body, including absorbing calcium.To get plenty of vitamin D, eat foods like fish, eggs, and milk. You can also get vitamin D from exposure to the sun.
Weight-bearing exercises not only help to keep you in shape, but also keep your bones strong and healthy. Regular exercise, including strength training, jogging, and climbing stairs can help slow the inevitable loss of bone as you age.
Vegetables are good for your health in many different ways. In terms of bone health, vegetables are typically high in vitamin C. This is important because it helps increase your body’s production of bone-specific cells. This helps when you begin to lose more bone than your body can make.
Your bones are important, so don't neglect their health. Call our office at 727-361-2162 or book an appointment online today to learn more about our treatment plans.
