Preventing Osteoporosis In Both Men And Women.

 As a woman, I am fully aware that I need to keep exercising as I get older so I prevent brittle bones from forming. All the ads, literature, even videos tend to focus on women and osteoporosis but what I didn't realize until recently is that men can get it too.  The word osteoporosis means "porous bone" and refers to a person's bones losing density so they become weak and are no longer strong enough to support the body.

Osteoporosis causes bones to break more easily and is bad for both men and women.  According to one statistic, about a quarter of the fractures that happen to people over the age of 50, happen to men.  Men are more likely to experience fractures in the hip, wrist, or spine.  Men are less likely to experience osteoporosis between the ages of 50 and 70 due to having larger skeletons than women, do not experience drops in hormones in the same way women do, and men lose bone density at a slower rate than women until the age of 65 or 70 when the stats become the same.

Our bodies form more bone than we lose between the ages of birth and about twenty five.  During this time, we build bones and density.  It is the density of the bones that determine how strong they are. Then from the ages of 25 to 50, our bones both break down and rebuild themselves about equally so they are about the same but once we hit 50,  our bones begin to break down more than they rebuild. It is only when the density of the bone reaches a certain point that a person is diagnosed with osteoporosis.

Since bone is a living entity, it responds to exercise by becoming stronger. To prevent getting osteoporosis, it is important to exercise beginning in your mid twenties so your body keeps building a bit more bone. In addition, exercise helps with balance, muscle strength, and coordination and these help prevent falls and possible fractures.  Exercise becomes more important as we age.

The best type of exercises designed to prevent osteoporosis are both weight-bearing and resistance exercises.  The weight-bearing exercises such as walking, hiking, jogging, running, climbing stairs, playing tennis, or dancing, require you to work against gravity.  Resistance exercises such as lifting weights help strengthen bones.  Although other exercises such as swimming and bicycling do strengthen your muscles and cardio, they are not the best ones for bone density.

The goal is to perform at least 30 minutes of exercise daily, eat well, make sure you get enough calcium, and vitamin D.  If you exercise with weight-bearing and resistance exercises, keep doing it but if you haven't it is never too late to start.  If you are older, talk to your doctor about a bone density test to see where you are and what would be the best exercises for you.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear. Have a great day.