Good Bones. A simple how-to for keeping strong bones.

Jim Rohn said, "Take care of your body; it's the only place you have to live."

Strong bones are the foundation for our bodies. As bodies age, bones can start to become weaker and more brittle. According to a study by Papadopoulou et al. (2021), “Osteoporosis is a silent disease, without any clear clinical symptoms, until a fracture occurs. Fractures are a major public health burden, as they are the main causes of morbidity, impairment, decreased quality of life, and mortality” (Section. 1, para. 1). Many things can affect bone health. Aging, autoimmune diseases, and poor diet.

Photo courtesy of Richard Hartzel, age 52, distal radius bone fracture, 2017

Strong muscles, Strong bones

Combating bone loss starts with diet, exercise, and proper hydration. Papadopoulou et al. (2021) later states, “Exercise influences bone strength and mass at all ages. Thus, regular physical activity promotes bone mass increase and bone geometry optimization during childhood and puberty, contributes to bone mass maintenance during adulthood, and reduces the decrease in bone mass loss and strength during old age, preventing osteoporotic fractures in the elderly” (Section 3, para. 2). Though more studies are needed to understand how much exercise is necessary for bone health fully, the documentation available now is very promising.

Weight training in a circuit, four to five sets of ten reps performing exercises such as;

- kettlebell swings

-squats

-lunges

-overhead press

-bicep and triceps curls

-deadlifts

These can be modified to fit your fitness level or substituted for other exercises of your liking. I want you to weight train. If you're a total beginner, consider booking a few sessions with a personal trainer. They'll be able to help you with the correct form to avoid injury and help you tailor the proper sequence of exercises for your skill and fitness level.

Photo in my home gym, 165 pounds ready for deadlift.

Feed those bones

Foods rich in vitamin D and calcium, such as whole milk and cheese, are a good starting block for meeting your bones’ nutritional needs. Eating a clean, whole-food diet is one of the best ways to fuel your body and stay younger. Meal prepping on Sunday is one of the easiest ways I've found to stick to eating good meals through the week instead of getting takeout food.

Mediterranean lasagna made with artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, mushrooms, onions, and spinach.

Foods you should eat as much as you can:

- Avacado

-Blueberries

-Leafy vegetables

-Carrots

-Broccoli

-Salmon

-Eggs

And, of course, I have to add dark chocolate to this list. I occasionally have a sweet tooth and prefer Ghirardelli 72% dark chocolate chips. They're so good with some cashew butter or natural peanut butter on an apple slice. The best part is that dark chocolate doesn't make my face break out like milk chocolate does. WIN!

Water doesn't suck

Lastly, but possibly the most important, is water intake. It is recommended that a person drink half of their body weight in ounces of water daily. So, a person weighing 175 pounds should drink 87 ounces of water daily. Your water doesn't have to be boring, either. Fill up a gallon jug and toss in some chopped strawberries, some lemon wedges, and a squeeze of lime, and you've got yourself an ultra-refreshing and not-so-boring beverage for the day.

So, to wrap this up. Drink water. Don’t eat from a box. Know where your food comes from. Take a walk. Lift weights.

And if you liked what you read, assuming you made it this far. Come back for more! You might find a recipe you want to try or some more in-depth information on bone health.

REFERENCES:

Papadopoulou, S. K., Papadimitriou, K., Voulgaridou, G., Georgaki, E., Tsotidou, E., Zantidou,

O., & Papandreou, D. (2021). Exercise and nutrition impact on osteoporosis and

sarcopenia-The incidence of osteosarcopenia: A Narrative Review. Nutrients, 13(12),

4499. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13124499