As we get older, we lose bone and muscle. We actively have to work against preventing that. If you want to age optimally and keep up with your grandkids, focus on building and maintaining bone density. It’s never too late to start!
WHAT CAN YOU DO TODAY TO MAKE YOUR BONES STRONGER?
- Build muscle – lift heavy things! You don’t have to go to the gym. You can do body weight exercises at home, like squats, pushups and pullups. Start with modifications, like standing from a chair, pushups against a wall. Start small and work your way up. If you don’t have time to work out, you can do sprinkle it in during the day, like doing five pushups you’re waiting for your coffee to brew or do 10 squats after an hour of work.
- Eat protein – protein is needed to build muscle and bones. As you get older, your ability to utilize protein gets less efficient so you need to eat more protein. Aim to eat 30 grams of protein per meal.
3. Get Vitamin D – Vitamin D helps get calcium into the bone and makes it stronger. Even though we live in FL, we see plenty of vitamin D deficiency and need to supplement. I recommend starting with 2000 to 5000iu daily. We regularly check our patient’s Vitamin D levels. Optimal Vitamin D level is 50-70 ng/mL.
4. SLEEP! Sleep really does the body good. This is the time your body is repairing damage and building up your muscles and bones. Most people need about 8 hours of sleep to feel rested, however individuals may need more or less.
We hope this helps! Post any questions you have for our doctors about osteoporosis or bone health.