Osteoporosis, a condition in which bones become prone to fracture due to weakening, occurs in both women and men. Post-menopausal women are perhaps at the highest risk of developing osteoporosis. Regardless of your gender or age, there are some things you can start doing now to prevent osteoporosis later in life.
Cut Out Cigarettes and Alcohol
While alcohol doesn’t have to be completely erased from your lifestyle, you should avoid excessive consumption of alcohol. If one or two drinks per day is your maximum, then you are well within the limits. Too much alcohol stops your body from properly metabolizing the minerals that your bones need to stay healthy. If you smoke, now is the time to consider quitting. Long-term smoking has been linked to increased fractures in both men and women.
Get Regular Exercise
Exercise has many obvious health benefits, but did you know that weight-bearing exercise helps stop bone loss and build bone density? Thirty minutes of resistance exercise per week, including weight lifting, walking and running, can give your body the boost it needs to stop or prevent osteoporosis. In addition, you’ll be perfecting the balance it takes to reduce the likelihood of falls that could cause fractures later on in life.
Promote Healthy Calcium Stores
While you’ve probably heard that dairy, rich with calcium, is excellent for preventing osteoporosis, you might not have guessed that fish is another great source of calcium. Fish such as sardines and tuna provide a great deal of calcium. In addition, you should take steps in your diet to prevent calcium loss. Your body will release calcium via your urine if you have high protein or caffeine intake.
Keep Vitamin D in Your Life
Vitamin D is necessary for proper calcium absorption. Sunlight is the best source of vitamin D, but be sure to wear sunscreen for protection. Other sources of vitamin D include supplements and foods such as mackerel, salmon, fortified cereal, eggs, and sausage.
Get Your Checkups
When visiting your doctor, ask him if you should get a bone density test. This test can be used to indicate the beginning of osteoporosis. According to a family doctor in Winter Haven, the sooner osteoporosis is caught, the more effective swift treatment will be. Additionally, ask your doctor to check your height every few years. A small amount of shrinking is normal over time, but significant changes can be an indicator of small fractures caused by osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis can happen to both men and women, and it is recommended that everyone take steps to prevent bone loss. Simple prevention, as highlighted above, can save a lot of pain later down the road due to spontaneous fractures. Making a few lifestyle changes now can prevent osteoporosis later.