Building and maintaining strong bones is essential for happy and healthy golden years. And the good news is that is never too late. Here are some things you can do to strengthen and maintain your bone health:
1. Increase your Calcium. Calcium is essential to building and maintaining strong bones.When you do not consume enough calcium, your body takes it from its stored supply, causing your bones to become porous and weak. Good food sources for calcium: milk, cheese, dark leafy greens, sardines, tofu, nuts, white beans, oats and blackstrap molasses.
2. Increase your Vitamin D. In order for the calcium in these foods to be absorbed, your body also needs lots of Vitamin D. Fortunately, one of the best ways to get Vitamin D is from the sunlight. Unfortunately, sunscreen and advanced age limit our ability to synthesize this vitamin from the sun. So, once again, food sources can be a good source: sardines, salmon, eggs, cheese, tuna to name a few.
3. Ensure you eat foods with Vitamin K. Vitamin K also seems to play a role in strengthening bones, and can be found in leafy greens, spinach, broccoli, bok choy and Chinese cabbage.
4. Avoid caffeine. Four cups of coffee or more per day may increase risk of bone fractures.
5. Exercise. Especially weight-bearing and muscle-strengthening exercises. Running, jumping rope, walking, hiking, climbing stairs, dance, pilates, yoga, weight training, resistance bands, cycling and swimming are some good exercises for strengthening your bones.
The Mayo Clinic has a very useful article that spells out the daily vitamin and exercise requirements for maintaining good bone health.
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