G
etting older and losing bone density
will mean that there may not be enough
is inevitable, isn’t it? Over the last
building blocks for your body to build the
few years, more research has shown
best matrix and improve bone density. The
that there are definite steps you can put in
recommended daily intake for women and
place to minimise and in some cases, reverse
men is 1000mg/day, which increases to
this process.
1200mg/day after the age of 50 for women
As we grow as children and young adults, our
and after the age of 70 for men.
body lays down bone and increases our bone density, which peaks in our late twenties/early thirties. This process is dependent on what type of exercise we do in our early life, diet and genetics. After this age, there is a natural decline, which accelerates after menopause. SO, WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT THIS NATURAL DECLINE IN BONE DENSITY AS WE AGE? 1. Weight bearing exercise. This is one of the biggest factors that we can control. In the last few years, research has shown that exercises in classical strength training, such as deadlifts, squats, can have a significant stimulus on the bones which help maintain and sometimes improve bone density. The load on the bone needs to be a little bit harder than you expect, therefore these exercises should really be supervised by a well-trained and qualified exercise professional, such as a physiotherapist, exercise physiologist to avoid injury and to gain the maximum benefit. 2. Appropriate amounts of calcium in your diet. Having enough calcium in your diet is no a guarantee that these materials will be laid down as bone in the body. However not having enough calcium in your diet GHG Disclaimer – please read
3. Ask your doctor to test your bone density. It is important to know where you stand at any point in time and any action that may need to be taken. A bone density test is not invasive and is a measurement of the hip and spine by a central DXA machine, to diagnose osteoporosis. DXA stands for dual energy x-ray absorptiometry. Your SUBSCRIBE to GHG | 29