Bones are a significant element of our body as they provide a structural framework to it. However, with age our bones and muscles become weak, necessitating us to adopt certain techniques and strategies in our everyday routine to protect them from damage.
Bones provide structure, support and protection to the human body in addition to providing stability, protection from internal damage in case of accidents, the ability to perform various activities such as walking, running and others, & also acts as a reservoir of numerous minerals that are crucial to our health.
Every second, every minute, our bones are at risk of wear and tear. Especially in today’s time, where humans are constantly engaged with electronic devices and exposed to extensive screen time. They tend to spend long hours sitting and eating and avoid any kind of physical movement.
Just like a coin has two sides, there are individuals who neglect their health and fall prey to various chronic diseases, while others are spending most of their time working out and trying to lead a healthy lifestyle.
All the activities we perform in our daily life have a positive or negative impact on our body, including our bone health. If we humans become negligent towards our bone health then our whole body will suffer. Therefore, we should consider certain factors and adopt some practices in our everyday life to ensure a long and healthy lifestyle.
FACTORS AFFECTING BONE HEALTH
Some of the factors impacting an individual’s bone health are
AGE
The first and foremost factor affecting an individual’s bone health is their age. As we grow older our bones become weak and thin either due to lack of muscle strength or due to less bodily movement or insufficient absorption of nutrients and minerals by our body. All these factors lead to reduced bone density and thus result in bad bone health.
LIFESTYLE
Leading a sedentary lifestyle significantly contributes to deteriorated physical and mental health, thereby affecting our whole body.
Due to the advent of covid, many teenagers do not like to indulge in any form of physical activity which leads to accumulation of unnecessary fat on various parts of our body. This makes their bones weak due to increased body weight.
Thus, in order to maintain healthy bones, we must lead an active lifestyle by prioritizing our physical as well as mental health.
STRESS
Nowadays, every other person suffers from depression and anxiety due to which they sometimes indulge in over-eating junk food which negatively impacts their health. These eating disorders and unhealthy practices also contribute to bad bone health as they affect one’s metabolism and weakens the capacity to absorb essential nutrients. One must try to lead a happy, stress-free life.
GENDER
Gender also plays an important role when assessing whether an individual’s bones are healthy or not. Females are at a higher risk of getting affected by osteoporosis, a condition in which the bones become brittle and fragile as a result of loss of tissue or due to hormonal changes or due to lifelong deficiency of minerals, mainly calcium.
Regularly practicing physical activities not only helps improve physical fitness but also mental strength. When our body feels healthy, we feel alive, active and energetic. This further motivates us to consume healthy food and take good care of ourselves.
STRATEGIES FOR MAINTAINING STRONG BONES
HAVE A BALANCED DIET
Consuming a healthy balanced diet is essential for a long healthy life. A balanced diet is a diet that includes an adequate quantity of all the nutrients essential for our body to grow healthy and remain disease-free.
CONSUME PLENTY OF NUTRIENT-RICH FOOD
Our body requires various nutrients to sustain healthy bones. Some of these nutrients are
- Calcium
A diet rich in calcium ensures strong bones, which in turn increases the bone mass (a measure of minerals contained in our bones) while a diet low in calcium contributes to diminished bone density and strength, weakened bones and an increased risk of sudden fractures and osteoporosis.
Food rich in calcium includes dairy products like milk, cheese, tofu, yogurt, almonds, nuts, green leafy vegetables, soya bean, bony fish, etc.
- Magnesium
Intake of magnesium also helps reduce bone related problems and ensures better bone health. Edibles like pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, almonds, spinach, peanuts, and fruits including banana, avocado, blueberries and others should be included in our diet.
- Vitamins
Deficiency of vitamin D and K also contributes to reduced bone health, further increasing the risk of osteoporosis. Both the vitamins are considered as fat-soluble vitamins and play a crucial role in calcium metabolism. Also, studies have indicated that vitamin D helps produce vitamin K dependent proteins.
Thus, ensuring sufficient consumption of these vitamins is essential both for kids as well as adults. Although one should note that excess intake of any nutrient leads to bad results.
MAINTAIN A HEALTHY WEIGHT
The human body is a powerhouse of strength and bones are its foundation. Maximizing bone strength ensures proper functioning of the musculoskeletal system.
Maintaining a stable, healthy weight is essential for an individual’s health. Being obese or overweight invites many chronic diseases and exerts more pressure on bones which makes them brittle.
INTRODUCE PHYSICAL EXERCISES IN EVERYDAY ROUTINE
Nelson Mandela once said, exercise is the key not only to physical health but to peace of mind.
Exercises strengthen your heart, improve blood circulation, ensure proper intake and absorption of oxygen. Regularly moving the body is the most important aspect of maintaining a healthy body. Physical activity also serves as a means of releasing stress, promoting physical fitness and mental activeness.
Being fit and active is the need of the hour, as people nowadays lead hectic schedules. However, building a salubrious lifestyle is a challenging task for an individual as it requires a lot of motivation and determination.
One should remember, a small step in the right direction leads to greater success. Indulging small changes in our daily habits helps develop a vigorous dynamic lifestyle.
AVOID SUBSTANCE USE
Whether it is male or female, being a substance addict is not acceptable. Whether it is alcohol consumption or tobacco smoking, both are harmful. These activities result in loss of bone mass making the bones weak, fragile and prone to osteoporosis and fractures.
Tobacco smoke makes the human body inhale certain hazardous chemicals which obstruct the flow of oxygen further affecting continuous blood supply in the body. This may lead to inflammation of bone. There are many harmful effects of nicotine on the production of bone-forming cells. Moreover, smoking affects the oxygen absorbing capacity of the body which results in poor health and deteriorated physical strength.
SAY NO TO ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS
Consuming food containing a high amount of added sugar increases the normal sugar level of the body.
Besides, some individuals have a habitual practice of eating chocolates, sweets and other sugary items when suffering from anxiety or depression. This dependency on artificial sweeteners can prove harmful for one’s body and health as it may lead to adverse consequences in the future.
Avoiding artificial sweeteners and consuming less sugar and sugary items can prove beneficial for one’s bone health.
CONCLUSION
People tend to take bone health for granted unless and until the situation becomes severe. As we know, no problem comes with a warning sign. Small steps, small activities, small habits contribute to bigger changes. We must make sure to work towards our health in every possible way we can.
A wise person once said, health is like money, we never have a true idea of its value until we lose it.
Stay Strong, Stay Active, Stay Energetic & Stay Healthy!