Osteoporosis is a health condition in which the body’s bones become brittle and weak. New bone tissue cannot regenerate fast enough, leading to bone loss and a significant increase in potential injuries. These fractures can range in causes, from falling to even something as familiar as coughing too hard. Below, personal trainer Eugenio Pallisco discusses preventing osteoporosis from holding people back through proper nutrition, exercise, and other methods.
The Importance of Healthy Bones
Bones play a vital role in the body’s infrastructure. They protect the internal organs, store calcium, and anchor our muscles. However, despite how much bones do for the body, most people stop gaining bone mass as early as their thirties.
Lifestyle choices like diet and exercise also significantly impact bone health. Those who don’t pay attention to these choices are more likely to develop osteoporosis, putting their bodies at risk. The good news is that such a risk level can be adjusted and even prevented outright if you know what to do.
Nutrition for Bone Health
The primary way to ensure bone health is by incorporating enough calcium into their diet. Diets low in calcium can lead to lower bone density and increased fractures.
Foods that are high in calcium include the following:
- Dairy products
- Calcium-fortified products
- Soybeans
- Bok choy
- Canned salmon
- Figs
Alternatively, you can take calcium supplements to help reach your daily minimum calcium intake. Doing so can benefit those with dietary restrictions or food allergies.
Alongside calcium, vitamin D and protein are essential for promoting bone health. Vitamin D is often taken as a supplement. It’s necessary in the winter, when sunlight, a significant contributor to vitamin D intake, is more scarce. Protein, dairy, fish, meat, eggs, and nuts are all common ways to increase your intake. Dairy is particularly beneficial, as some fortified milk and yogurts often include calcium and vitamin D.
Exercise for Bone Health
Regular exercise is incredibly beneficial for your health, and the fact that it can stave off osteoporosis is just one of the many reasons. However, to target bone health specifically, you’ll want to include specific workouts.
Weight-bearing exercises are the most helpful for improving overall bone health. Talk with your doctor if you have concerns about including weight-bearing exercises in your daily workout routine. Alongside these, many high-impact exercises, like running, tennis, or aerobics, are also excellent for keeping osteoporosis at bay.
Low- and medium-impact exercises, like walking, swimming, and yoga, are also great, particularly if you’re already struggling with bone loss or aren’t used to working out. These are phenomenal bone health workouts that virtually anyone at any fitness level can do without experiencing pain.
Other Considerations for Bone Loss
Aside from adjusting your diet and exercise, you can still do other things to increase your chances of maintaining healthy bones. Some medications can impact your bone density, so discuss your prescriptions with your doctor if you’re concerned about osteoporosis. Tobacco and alcohol consumption have also been related to bone loss, so it’s wise to limit your consumption of these products.
About Eugenio Pallisco
Fitness expert and licensed trainer Eugenio Pallisco works in Dallas, Texas. Since he began working with motivational fitness mentors in high school, he has devoted a significant amount of time to sculpting and molding his training philosophy, which centers on improving others. Before starting his private training firm in the fitness industry, he gained more expertise by working one-on-one with gym patrons after beginning as a group fitness teacher.
