Hopefully, after hearing all the important roles your skeletal system orchestrates you now have a greater understanding and awareness of all your skeletal system does for you. It gives your body a strong frame to hold you up and give you shape, it protects your body from day-to-day injuries and accidents, and it makes blood cells to nourish and protect your body.
Now that you understand what all your bones do for you, it’s time to see what you can do for your bones. Although your bones are quite tough, resilient, and relatively easy for your body to make; there are many things that we do to either hinder or help our skeletal systems effectiveness. Help your amazing body be strong and repair itself by staying active, eating right, maintaining a healthy weight, and quitting smoking and excessive drinking.
Stand up and Get Moving!
When you are consistently using your bones, such as standing, walking, and running your bones get stronger. Weight bearing and movement reduces the risk of osteoporosis. However, the opposite is also true where if you are very sedentary your bones will be smaller, weaker, and more brittle. Injured people and elderly who are bedridden have weaker more easily fractured bones.
Just staying up on your bones makes a huge difference, but if you can also add exercise that is even better for your bone’s overall health. Performing strength training and weight-bearing exercises will stimulate bone formation and help prevent bone loss.
Eat Right!
Next, your diet also plays a pretty important role on the health of your bones. Your bones need plenty of
- Calcium - good sources of calcium include dairy products, almonds, broccoli, kale, canned salmon , sardines and soy products, such as tofu.
- Vitamin D for absorbing the calcium - get vitamin d by spending time in the sunlight, eating fortified foods, and fish
- Vitamin K for absorbing the calcium - found mainly in leafy green vegetables, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts
Mixing these foods in with your diet is an easy way to drastically improve your bones’ health.
Source: Bone health: Tips to keep your bones healthy - Mayo Clinic
Maintain a Healthy Weight
Taking care of our bones doesn't just mean having a balanced diet, but also maintaining a healthy weight.
Did you know that being too heavy can have a negative impact on our bones? Excessive weight can put unnecessary strain on our skeletal system, leading to several bone-related issues such as risk of fractures, The excess pounds on our bodies can overload our bones, making them more susceptible to breakage. In fact, research conducted by the American Journal of Epidemiology found that both men and women who were overweight had a higher risk of fractures compared to individuals of normal weight. Carrying extra weight not only increases the risk of fractures but can also contribute to conditions like osteoarthritis. This degenerative joint disease is common as we age, but being overweight can accelerate its progression. The extra pressure placed on our joints speeds up the breakdown of cartilage, leading to painful rubbing and stiffness.
But also important is not being too thin. Studies have shown that individuals who are underweight are at a higher risk of developing osteoporosis later in life. This is because our bones need essential nutrients and a healthy amount of fat to stay strong and function properly. When we don't provide our bodies with enough nourishment, it can have severe consequences on our skeletal system. Having a low body weight can lead to a lack of nutrient absorption, meaning our bones may not receive the necessary vitamins and minerals to keep them healthy and strong. These vital nutrients include calcium, vitamin D, vitamin K, and protein! Being underweight can affect our hormonal balance, particularly estrogen levels. Low estrogen levels are associated with decreased bone density, which can ultimately lead to brittle bones and an increased risk of fractures. When our bodies lack adequate nutrition, they can enter a state known as 'low energy availability.' This condition decreases the production of new bone cells and impairs bone remodeling, resulting in weaker bones over time.
A word of caution, if you are shedding pounds to get to your idea weight, loosing weight too fast can actually be detrimental to our bones! Our bones are living tissues that constantly remodel and adapt to different circumstances. During weight loss, our bodies experience changes in hormone levels and nutrient availability. Rapid weight loss puts stress on our bones, impairing the process of bone remodeling. This can make them more prone to fractures and other bone-related issues in the long run. Evidence suggests that a slower, more controlled weight loss approach is beneficial for bone health. One study published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research found that individuals who lost weight slowly (around 1-1.5 pounds per week) had significantly less bone loss compared to those who lost weight rapidly. Ensure a well-balanced diet rich in calcium and other essential nutrients to protect your bones as you stive to get to an ideal weight range.
Engaging in regular physical activity helps promote strong bones, reducing the risk of fractures and preserving their integrity. A combination of weight-bearing exercises such as walking or weightlifting, along with a proper diet, can do wonders for our skeletal health!
Stop Smoking and Excessive Drinking
Smoking and excessive alcohol consumption can weaken bones over time. Studies have shown that smokers tend to have lower bone density than nonsmokers, which means their bones are weaker and more prone to fractures. Additionally, smoking can interfere with the production of new bone tissue, prolonging the healing process if you do experience a fracture. In addition, studies have shown that smokers tend to have lower bone density than nonsmokers, which means their bones are weaker and more prone to fractures. Additionally, smoking can interfere with the production of new bone tissue, prolonging the healing process if you do experience a fracture.
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