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5 Steps to Healthy Bones
EAT RIGHT Get your daily recommended amounts of calcium and vitamin D.
EXERCISE Engage in regular weight-bearing and muscle-strengthening exercise.
MAINTAIN A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE Avoid smoking and excessive alcohol
consumption.
TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR Talk to your healthcare provider about bone health.
GET TESTED Have a bone density test and take medication when appropriate.
Source: National Osteoporosis Foundation
Tone Your Bones
How to reduce your risk for osteoporosis
Fitness can be fun! Weight-bearing exercises, such as dancing, can help prevent osteoporosis when done three to four times a week.
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At any age, regular workouts not only build muscle, they also increase bone density. This is important if you’re trying to avoid osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a disease in which bones become fragile and are more likely to break—typically in the hip, spine or wrist. A hip fracture usually requires hospitalization and major surgery, and it may cause prolonged disability. Spinal or vertebral fractures also can have serious consequences.
According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, weight-bearing exercise helps strengthen bones by placing weight on the bones. It recommends walking or doing weight-bearing exercises like jogging, dancing or tennis to prevent osteoporosis and strengthen bone mass.
Strength Training for Baby Boomers
Resistance training helps individuals in their 60s and 70s maintain muscle size and mass despite accelerated muscle loss in old age. Adding weight-bearing exercise to your day is easy. Skip the elevator and climb the stairs. Park several blocks from your destination or at the far end of a parking lot and walk. Or join a square dance club or take tennis lessons.
Exercise to tone your bones should be:
Frequent Get physical activity for at least 30 minutes every day.
Weight-bearing and resistive or strength-building Some of the best exercises to build bones include jumping rope, running, aerobics, hiking, walking, racquetball, tennis, volleyball, cross-country skiing, rowing and dancing.
Habitual Once you stop exercising, many of the bone-strengthening benefits rapidly disappear.
Improve Your Balance
According to the National Institute on Aging (NIA), more than 1.6 million older Americans go to the emergency room due to fall-related injuries each year. Balance exercises build leg muscles and help prevent falls. Balance exercises can help you stay independent by helping you avoid disabilities that may result from falling. Lower body exercises for strength also help balance. The NIA and NIH provide specific exercises at their Web sites.
Consult your physician before beginning an exercise program.
For information, please call our Health Access Line at 314-ANTHONY (268-4669) or 800-554-9550
or visit find a physician online.
At St. Anthony’s, our vision is to be the area’s premier health care organization
— and your first choice for health care services.