HOW TO BUILD HEALTHY BONES AND KEEP THEM STRONG

Build strong bones characterized by weak

and brittle bones osteoporosis and it's

precursor osteopenia effect 44 million

Americans and lead to more than 2

million bone fractures every year

according to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons there's a lot you can do to keep your bones strong and lower your risk of osteoporosis it's never too early to start think of your bones as a retirement savings account you need to bank a lot of funds when you're young so that you have plenty to draw upon as you get older bones reach peak density by the early 30s according to the Mayo Clinic from then on your job is to keep those levels up by getting enough calcium and vitamin D exercising and taking other steps know your t-score osteoporosis is often called a silent disease because you won't display obvious outward symptoms until a bone breaks obviously not a sign you want to wait for a bone mineral

density BMD tests can tell you how strong your bones are the results of this test are given as a number called a t-score your doctor can combine your T score with other risk factors like your

age and gender to determine your actual risk of breaking a bone in the next ten years milk it milk is full of calcium the foundation of healthy bones and vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium additionally vitamin D helps build and repair bones and keeps muscles strong which reduces the risk of Falls women

age 15 and younger a men age 70 and younger should aim for 1,000 milligrams of calcium per day. 

     According to the National Osteoporosis foundation older

men and women should aim for 1200 milligrams of calcium a day this is the equivalent of about 4 glasses of nonfat cow milk or three cups of non-fat yogurt men and women under the age of 60 should target to consume 400 to 800 here a vitamin D per day people over the age of 50 should aim for 1,000 a vitamin D daily don't smoke

smoking increases the rate of bone loss women who smoke the lower levels of estrogen and tend to hit menopause at the younger age both of which accelerate bone loss limit drinking if you drink keep it to no more than two drinks a day for men and one drink a day for women anything more will interfere with your body's ability to absorb calcium and will also slow new bone formation according to the Mayo Clinic meat in moderation the popular saying all things in moderation definitelyapplies to meat especially when it comes to healthy bones calcium and phosphorus help the body digests animal protein eating too much red meat fish pork and

poultry concept these resources from the bone on the other hand protein deficiency hinders calcium absorption in

the intestines the solution limit your animal protein intake to no more than twice a day and eat small portions about three ounces or the size of a deck of cards ask mom and dad genetic traits determine a lot of factors that affect your overall bone health including your burn size bone mass when you go through menopause and how well your body uses calcium and vitamin D these traits are passed down from father to son a mother

to daughter by knowing your family history you can take appropriate steps to intervene including earlier screening for osteoporosis and use of appropriate medications cut back on sodium too much sodium causes calcium to leach out of

your bones and then be expelled through

the urine according to the Cleveland

Clinic to keep more calcium in your

bones follow a low sodium diet by

cutting down on processed foods and

keeping this old shaker off the table

stay active weight-bearing exercises

activities that force you to work

against gravity strengthen bone by

stimulating bone building cells called osteoblasts high-impact exercises like running tennis basketball and kickboxing strengthen bones the fastest flex those muscles every time you flex your muscles tendons tug on your bones stimulating them to grow therefore any exercise that helps build muscle lifting weights using

resistance bands doing yoga will also help build bone density and strength you don't even have to leave your house just strap on 102 pounds wrist and ankle weights while doing chores at home another plus strong muscles improve your balance and coordination so you're less likely to fall