Protect the Health of Your Bones with these Crucial Tips!
Understanding the importance of skeletal health and then taking the necessary steps for protection is crucial for maintaining the healthy, active lifestyle you desire. As the average life expectancy of people continues to rise, it’s important to keep in mind that the crucial areas of daily health positively influence your overall quality of life. Keep reading to learn why bone health in particular is important for supporting your general sense of wellbeing and how to utilize tips to support the health of your bones.
On the Importance of Bone Health
Bone health plays multiple roles in your daily health. From providing structure and mobility, protecting organs, anchoring muscles, and storing calcium—bones provide the framework for all your daily activities. However, your bones are continuously changing throughout your life. New bone is made and old bone gets broken down. Most people tend to reach their peak bone mass by the age of 30. As you age, your bone mass begins to slowly decrease, which makes taking that extra step of supplementing weakening bones all the more important.
The Necessary Nutrients to Remember
Let’s take a look at this in steps. Step one involves daily bone nourishment to ensure that your bones are getting enough nutrients to maintain bone health and density. About 70 percent of your bones, by weight, are made from minerals. Calcium is the main ingredient for strong bones, but vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium. Both are crucial for daily bone support. Other vital nutrients include magnesium and potassium—in addition certain trace minerals like boron, which helps harden bone and promotes bone growth, as well as protecting vitamin D levels and contributing to calcium absorption. Other valuable trace minerals that all help support overall bone health include iron and zinc.
Light Exercises and Tips to Stay Active
Next, exercise also plays a role in supporting your bone health. Any light resistance, low impact types of exercises like walking, jogging, and aerobics make your bones and muscles work against gravity—which in turn helps to strengthen bones. Be sure to check with your physician about any restrictions or limitations for the appropriate amounts and types of exercises you may engage in. Remember that even stretching daily can help keep you limber and more active and injury free, and the less injuries you have, the more mobile you can be.
Staying Away from Bad Habits
Building strong bones is also about avoiding the negative influences that may impact your health. A bad diet can keep you from receiving all the nutrients and trace minerals mentioned above. Other areas to watch for include limiting your tobacco and alcohol intake, both of which can negatively affect bone density. Experts have noted that alcohol, in excess, can cause up to 2% bone loss in a year's time. Nicotine also causes 2% bone loss.
Injury is also a factor in bone health, it can affect your ability to maintain an active lifestyle which lead to sedentary habits, and poor bone health, as well as other concerns. Protect yourself from injuries and falls by taking the necessary precautions, investing in footwear with good tread, wearing a helmet when you ride a bike, and stretching before exercise.
Keep Your Bones in Mind
Throughout your life, you might tend to forget that bones need nutrients as well. When you are young, calcium from milk was the most important form of support. As you age, bone health becomes an even more important facet of health, and the ways in which it needs support become more complex. Taking the necessary steps to promote strong healthy bones is crucial to good quality of life and maintaining that young spry feeling you covet.