Do you think about your bones? 

Dr Attia was discussing on a recent podcast, how fragility and lack of strength can impact our lives the older we get and he had this to say:

“The ratio increases massively as we enter our 60s and 70s, due to a higher loss of function…Once you hit the age of 65, if you fall, and you break your hip or your femur – your long bone in your leg – there is a 15-30 per cent chance you will be dead within the next 12 months.”

This is pretty shocking!

Obviously not all falls cause serious injuries, but it can cause the person to lose confidence, become withdrawn, and often its a downward spiral from there…

Risk factors for Osteoporosis and broken bones :

 Menopause – the low level of oestrogen weakens bones

 Age – from age 35 onwards, you start to lose bone tissue

 Being underweight – you’re more likely to have less bone tissue if you’re under weight (and less ‘padding’ round the hips to help cushion a fall!)

 Smoking – smoking slows down the cells that build bone tissue

 Too much alcohol – this also affects bone building cells (you’re also more likely to fall and break a bone when intoxicated)

 Certain medications and medical conditions can have an affect on your bone health

 Genetics – if you have a parent that has broken their hip or diagnosed with Osteoporosis, it makes it more likely that you will too

Thankfully there are things that you can do to help keep your bones strong:

 Weight bearing exercise – this includes walking and any exercise where you are bearing your own body weight

 Whole body strengthening exercises to help muscles and bones get strong

 Exercises to improve balance, co ordination and posture (to limit the risk of falling)

 Taking Vitamin D

 Eating foods with plenty of calcium such as dairy products; green leafy vegetables; nuts and seeds and fish

Swimming and cycling are good forms of exercise to help with mobility and cardiovascular health, however they don’t provide the impact that you need to help strengthen bones 

If you’d like more information on what kind of exercise is good for your bones or not quite sure where to start, I’d be happy to chat!

#osteoporosis #bonehealth #strong #womenshealth #menopause #osteoporosisawareness