I wanted to discuss an important topic that I feel isn’t maybe spoken about enough.
I’ll tell you the truth here, this is a pretty un-sexy blog post. Bone health, I mean, yeah whatever, not exactly the most exciting topic in the world. So in a bid to try and keep your attention, i’m guna keep it short.
Why does it matter - Osteoporosis (brittle-bones, bone thinning) is 2-3 more common in women than men.
You have gained 90%of your bone mineral density by the time you are 18!!!! Shit.
The last 10% peak at age roughly at age 25
Then it goes down
There is a quick bone density drop off at perimenopause time
Women are also more susceptible to falls
The critical time for building bone health is puberty to 18yrs old
I’m guessing if you’re reading this you’re probably past that age.
That’s all good, not all is lost.
3 factors that determine bone health
Estrogen
Physical Activity
Nutrition
There is plenty we can do to maintain and slow the process of bone breaking down and make sure we age well.
Physical activity, especially strength training and higher impact activities are best (higher impact can be in the form of walking in this case).
Note that maintaining bone density with exercise was specific to the area, so its better to have a whole body approach to your strength work, across however many days
2 important nutrients for bone health are Calcium and Vitamin D
Calcium is important in many vital functions
-nerve impulses
-muscle contraction
-regulation of blood pressure
-blood clotting
If there is not enough calcium in the diet it will be pulled from bones.
Estrogen indirectly helps to absorb calcium from food and promotes conservation of calcium in kidneys. It also stimulates vitamin D activity which is crucial for calcium metabolism. And it stimulates Osteoblasts (the cells responsible for building bone by lining the cavities with collagen.
Anyway, I guess the message is, any and all strength training is good. Impact (walking, boxing ;) jogging, skipping) is good - if you’ve been cleared to do it. Get in the sun, apparently 10mins a day is sufficient. Get calcium in, and maybe get checked to see where your hormones are at.
Hope that wasn’t too boring but it’s important, because we've got to work on this shit now, before we get to old. Prevention is key, and exercise isn't about just trying to look a certain way.
Lawrence x
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