Bones are living tissues that respond to their environment.
They have nerves, blood vessels, and marrow which is important for the production of blood cells. Bones are always tearing down and rebuilding themselves in a process known as remodeling. So, how can you improve bone health?
1. Get More Active.
If more physical demands are placed on a bone it will become thicker and stronger and if less and less physical demands are placed on a bone it will lose bone mass and become weaker. So bones last no longer if you stress them, weight-bearing exercises such as resistance training are beneficial as our activities such as walking and jogging as well as sports like tennis and basketball we are moving in multiple directions.
2. Get Plenty of Calcium in Your Diet.
As I said it earlier, bones are constantly being remodeled that is new bone is being formed and old bone, reabsorbed. Calcium plays an important part in this process, calcium is also important in muscle contraction and in blood clotting. Bones act as a storage container for calcium, so when you don’t consume enough calcium from food it can be taken from your bones to increase the amount in the bloodstream and when you consume more calcium than your body needs, it can be deposited into the bones for later use so calcium intake is very important. The recommended daily amount of calcium is 1000mg per day, food sources high in calcium include small fish with bones such as salmon, kale, broccoli, oranges, tofu, almonds, green leafy vegetables, and legumes.
3. Get Enough Vitamin D in Your Diet.
Vitamin D is important to bone health because it helps with the absorption of calcium, the recommended amount of Vitamin D is 600iu per day. Vitamin D can be produced naturally from sunlight exposure as UV rays induce the body to manufacture Vitamin D from cholesterol. Food rich in Vitamin D includes salmon, tuna, mushrooms, almond milk, soymilk, orange juice, many kinds of cereal, oatmeal, and dairy products.
4. Maintain a Healthy Weight.
Being overweight puts more stress on bones when performing everyday movements which over time can lead to bones breaking down and fracturing. Being underweight can be harmful as well, most people that are underweight have a much lower bone density, making bones more fragile and increasing the chances of fractures.
As an orthopedic surgeon, I want to see you have full mobility and the best life possible. If you are experiencing chronic or acute knee or hip pain, limited movement or other joint problems there are medical treatments that can help. Call me, Douglas J. Roger, M.D, at 1-760-416-4511. I practice with the Institute of Clinical Orthopedics And Neuroscience in the Desert Regional Medical Center the office is located at 1180 N Indian Canyon Drive W201, Palm Springs, CA 92262.