Osteoporosis Prevention

Osteoporosis Prevention

While bone loss is an inevitable component of the aging process, there are a series of actions and behaviors that you can incorporate into your lifestyle to reduce your chances of developing this disease.

Younger women should not wait until they reach their menopause years to start to take action to prevent osteoporosis. Instead, starting at age 30 or earlier, women should follow certain bone-preserving steps in order to reduce their risk of developing the disease later on life.

Here are four of the most important preventive measures for reducing osteoporosis risk:

• Diet: Women under the age of 50 should consume a minimum of 1,000 mg of calcium each day. Since this is difficult to do through food alone, taking a quality daily supplement is necessary. In addition to calcium, at least 1,000 mg of Vitamin D is also needed to ensure the health of bones. Many calcium supplements are also combined with Vitamin D. You should look for a supplement that contains D3, a more readily absorbable form of this nutrient.
• Exercise: In addition to getting in your regular 30 minutes of activity, engaging in weight-bearing exercises is a key factor in preventing osteoporosis. Some cardiovascular activities can also double as weight-bearing ones like stair-climbing and jogging or running. Strength-training workouts that use external weights can help to maintain bone mass as can certain forms of yoga that require the use of your body weight to provide support in postures. Regular exercise will also improve balance and coordination thereby reducing risk for accidental falls and slips that can cause a fracture or broken bones.
• Not Smoking: Although the precise link between smoking and osteoporosis has not been identified, those who smoke have a much higher risk of developing the disease than those who don’t smoke.
• Seek Proper Medical Care: It is important to receive a bone density test in order to determine if you have osteoporosis or if you at risk for the condition. Talk to your medical doctor about getting a test done and about taking the necessary preventive measures to reduce your osteoporosis risk.