| |
Bone Health
Exercise can minimize your risk of developing osteoporosis
- The U.S. Surgeon General reports that half of all women older than 50 will break a bone because of osteoporosis.
- More than 28 million baby boomers are at risk for osteoporosis. Women comprise an estimated 80 percent of this group.
- A woman’s risk of hip fracture is equal to her combined risk of breast, uterine and ovarian cancer.
- 55 percent of people over the age of 50 are living with, or at risk for, osteoporosis. But 80 percent of them do not believe osteoporosis is a risk factor for broken bones.
- Osteoporosis is a disease of weak bones, and there is no cure. Five to seven years after menopause, a woman can lose up to 20 percent of her bone mass.
The good news is that you can do something about bone health. The combination of healthy eating and a proper exercise program can reduce the risk of developing, or can lessen the effects of, osteoporosis.
Who is at risk?
- Family history of osteoporosis
- Age (older than 65)
- Gender (females have higher risk)
- Body Mass Index (small body frame, BMI under 20, or weight less than 127 pounds)
- Race (Caucasians and Asians are at higher risk)
- Menopause
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Secondary osteoporosis (e.g., type 1 diabetes, osteogenesis imperfecta in adults, longstanding hyperthyroidism, hypogonadism, premature menopause, chronic malabsorption, chronic liver disease)
- History of fractures
- Low bone mass
- Losing height
- Low estrogen after a hysterectomy
- Alcohol use greater than two units daily (a unit is one medium glass of wine or a glass of beer)
- Cigarette smoking
- Use of certain medications (prednisone, cortisone, anticonvulsants, steroids, anti-seizure drugs, larger than usual doses of thyroid medication)
- Anorexia
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Lack of adequate calcium and vitamin D
Osteoporosis is known as the “silent” killer, because there are no early warning signs. Getting your bone mineral density (BMD) measured is the best way to monitor your bone health. BMD should be monitored two years after initiating therapy and at two-year intervals thereafter. Bone density testing is covered by most health insurance plans.
The North American Menopause Society recommends BMD testing for:
- All women over 65
- Postmenopausal women
- Younger postmenopausal women who have risk factors (family history, weight less than 127 pounds)
- Women of any age with medical causes of bone loss (use of oral steroids, vitamin D deficiency, endocrine disorders such as hyperparathyroidism)
What you can do to prevent osteoporosis
- Exercise (30 minutes most days of the week, including regular weight-bearing and resistance exercises 3 times per week)
- Get enough calcium (19-49 years old/1,000mg; 50+ years/1,200 to 1,500mg) and vitamin D (19-49 years/400 to 800 IU; 50+ years/800 to 1000 IU)
- Don’t smoke cigarettes (smoking decreases calcium intake)
- Don’t abuse alcohol (too high consumption decreases calcium intake)
- Discuss any risk factors with your doctor
- If you are at risk, get a BMD test
- Eat healthy foods
The best cure for osteoporosis is prevention. Weight-bearing and resistance exercises are the only exercises that can actually enhance bone growth and stop bone loss. Bone is living tissue that responds to exercise by growing denser and stronger. Weight-bearing and resistance activities stimulate the cells to grow new bone, thus reducing one’s risk of getting osteoporosis.
top | next
|
|
