As people grow older, it’s perfectly natural to wonder how to keep bones strong. When you’re young, it’s easy to feel invincible. Bones are more robust, and there is usually more muscle surrounding your bones. You take the impact from falls and other collisions in stride. As you get older, though, falling or smashing into something becomes more of a concern. You hear stories about friends who break their hips tripping on the sidewalk, and it seems like a good portion of your friends hurt themselves playing sports.
As you can imagine, Bones play a critical role in healthy body function. They support organ systems and facilitate movement. When you’re young, your body makes bone at a faster rate. Things slow, however, the older we get. As we age, there are less healthy, new bones. Instead, you’re left relying on the bone you have.
That’s why it’s so important to strengthen your bones by keeping them healthy. How do you do it? Thankfully, we know more about bone health and strength than ever. There are things that you can start doing now to reinforce your bones and keep them strong for whatever comes your way. Here are some things you can do to keep your bones healthy.
Exercise for Optimal Bone Health
It comes as a surprise to some people, but one of the best ways to strengthen your bones and keep them in great shape is to use them as much as possible! Frequent exercise is ideal for your bones. People who have higher levels of physical activity lower their risk of osteoporosis. On the other hand, people who don’t exercise see faster bone health decline. It’s an obvious concern in modern economies where fewer people engage in strenuous activities.
Exercise doesn’t have to be very strenuous, but the point is to move around as much as you can. As you age, you’re probably less inclined to join a basketball team or go to a Crossfit gym. Going out on daily walks is a great way to exercise and keep your bones moving. If you can, do some weightlifting and other resistance exercises to strengthen not only your bones but also the muscles around them that stabilize your bones and your joints.
Live a Healthy Lifestyle
On top of exercising regularly, there are several other things you can do to keep your bones healthy. One, for example, is to stay away from drinking excessively and don’t smoke cigarettes. Both are proven bone killers. Most experts recommend people stay under two drinks a day to avoid any unnecessary bone deterioration.
Eating a healthy diet and maintaining a healthy weight are also significant factors when it comes to bone health. If you’re obese or overweight, it puts much more strain on your bones. All of that extra weight is pressing down on your bones constantly, putting them under greater pressure.
Finally, adding calcium to your diet in the form of certain foods or by taking a supplement is a good idea. The good news is that calcium supplements are readily available online or at your local health store. These days, many grocery stores even carry basic supplements, and odds are you’ll find some calcium on the shelf. If you’re interested in eating foods that will give you more calcium, you can increase your intake of things like tofu, almonds, dairy products, kale, salmon, and broccoli.
Get Your Bone Density Checked
In the past, and even still today, far too many people waited until they had a problem with their bones to go see a doctor. Now, though, you can test your bone density and screen for things like cancer and other health concerns regularly. Go see a doctor and talk to them about getting a bone health check annually or every two years. You should also ask your family to see whether there is any family history of poor bone health. It’s often a significant factor in whether you have issues later in life.
Ipamorelin and Bone Health
Ipamorelin is a peptide that has been shown, in animal models, to enhance long bone growth and decrease inflammation. It also provides various other wound-healing benefits. Ipamorelin is a ghrelin analog that binds mainly to the growth hormone secretagogue receptor. In research in animal models, the peptide stimulated bone development and growth of other connective tissue.
Knowing what causes bone mass loss and brittleness is essential, but so is understanding how to keep your bones healthy for longer. Strong bones will be something you can count on as you grow older and want to remain active. The more you can do now to keep your bones strong, the better off you’ll be down the road. Your future self will be thanking you for all of your efforts and focus on staying healthy!
