Build Your Bones
Oddly enough, the bone-weakening disease osteoporosis isn't something you can feel in your bones. All too often, people remain unaware until it makes its presence known via a disabling fracture in the hip or spine.
Nearly half of women and one in four men over age 50 will break a bone as a result of osteoporosis, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation. But prevention, detection, and treatment of osteoporosis have made great strides in recent years.
You may not be able to alter certain risk factors such as gender (80 percent of those affected are female) or genetic predisposition (present in 66 percent of people with osteoporosis), but being aware and proactive can help you maximize your bone density.
Duke physical therapists Peggy Anglin and Courtney Frankel, who train and educate people with osteoporosis every day, share their thoughts on optimizing bone health at every age and stage of life.
Big Builders: Kids and Teens
It's crucial to build strong bones in childhood and adolescence, when 85 to 90 percent of bone mass is acquired. Anglin notes that the decline of physical education and recess in schools means parents need to step up efforts at home. "Do everything you can to get your kids involved in physical activity."
Adds Frankel, "Kids should be running, jumping, and playing, really putting that maximum impact on the bones. Sports are a fine venue to get children and teens moving."
Both caution parents to look out for emerging eating disorders in adolescents. Extreme dieting and over-exercising can seriously affect bone density.
Primetime: The Roaring Twenties
Bone mass usually peaks at skeletal maturity in the early 20s and is normally maintained until around the mid-30s.
"These are your prime years," notes Anglin. "Athletes are usually at their top performance levels during this time." Still, it’s easy to get derailed by accidents or injuries.
Start taking care of your back; learn proper lifting postures to avoid bending over at the spine, which could set you up for compression fractures. Frankel advises developing a fitness routine if you haven’t already.
"Young adults should aim to do weight-bearing exercise three to five days a week and weight-training two to three days per week."
Reclaim, Maintain: Mid-Thirties to 50
Bone mass starts to level off around age 35, when age-related bone loss begins. That’s all the more reason to stay fit.
"Especially if you’re a parent," says Anglin, "this can be a really busy stage with plenty of lifting; old injuries may tell on you, and stiffness may develop. It is a good time to focus on healthy habits and posture."
Strengthening your abdominal area will help straighten posture and protect the lower back, and stretching helps avoid stiffness after exercise. Particularly for woman approaching menopause, Frankel recommends a fitness routine that includes four to five days of weight-bearing exercise per week and two to three days of weightlifting or weight-resisting exercise per week.
Anglin advises that women request a bone density scan around age 50 if they’ve never had one.
Developing Strong Bones at Any Age
Things you can do at any age to reduce the risk or impact of osteoporosis include getting good nutrition, maintaining a healthy weight, quitting smoking, and reducing or eliminating alcohol.
Exercise is especially vital for building or maintaining bone mass. "These healthy behaviors are not something you do for a few weeks to accomplish a goal," stresses Duke physical therapist Courtney Frankel, "but as part of daily life."
