Bones form a very vital part of human body, so much so that any deformation or breakage of your bones may causes you not just constant pain but also makes you lose your mobility. Weaker bones may result in diseases like osteoporosis. Hence, it’s very important that you build strength in your bones. Human bones are prone to fractures and may become weak due to several reasons over a period of time. Especially, in case of women, the bones tend to lose their strength after 50 years of age.
This necessitates the need to eat healthy and follow a good lifestyle to maintain strong bones. The basic component for increasing bone strength is calcium. Increasing your calcium intake predominantly and by following a regular exercise regimen can help build stronger bones. Here’s the guide on how to go about the process of building strong bones.
Complexity Level: Moderate
Resources Required:
1. Milk products or dairy products
2. Green leafy vegetables
3. Yogurt or curd
4. Calcium and Magnesium supplements
5. Vitamin D
6. Basic exercising gear like dumbbells
Instructions:
1. Build bone mass by exercising
Exercising daily is very important to maintain your overall health in the long run. It is, particularly, important to perform weight-bearing exercises to build bone mass and to make your bones stronger. Exercises such as weight-lifting, squats, running, climbing stairs, dancing or aerobics and other exercises that make you work against the gravity are good to build bone health.
2. Engage in sports
Sports such as basketball, tennis, football etc are good to increase muscle mass. This will in turn have a good affect on building stronger bones.
3. Increasing your calcium intake
As already mentioned, bones primarily comprise of calcium. Hence, by increasing your calcium intake you can make your bones stronger. Replace your soft drinks etc with a glass of skimmed milk. Milk is rich in calcium, vitamin D, phosphorous and other minerals that are important for bone health. Green leafy vegetable, broccoli, oysters, salmon and dairy products are all good sources of calcium.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is the need of calcium to the body and particularly to the bones?
Calcium is very important for the body. It helps to make the muscles work so that you can easily lift up your hand, throw and catch things. It also helps your body’s reflex system by stimulating nerve impulses. Calcium helps your body to naturally heal cuts, bruises and scrapes. Bones and the blood of a human body are the storehouses of calcium. When the body makes new bone tissues, it first makes a framework of collagen on which tiny crystals of calcium accumulate. These calcium crystals are derived from blood. Calcium, hence, makes the bones strong. Each cell of the body needs calcium which it derives from your diet. However, if the food you eat does not contain enough calcium, the cells take it from the bones thereby making your bones weak. It is, therefore, essential to eat a calcium-rich diet to ensure bone strength.
Quick Tips:
1. Sunshine is the best source of vitamin D that will help in building stronger bones. Spending at least 15 minutes a day in the sun will boost your bone health. This is particularly recommended for toddlers.
2. It is always recommended to exercise regularly. However, if you are not comfortable with weight-lifting exercises, you may try using resistance bands as they also help in building bone mass and bone strength.
3. Decrease your caffeine and alcohol intake.
4. While there is no prescribed age when you should start building your bone strength, the younger you start the better are your chances of avoiding osteoporosis.
5. Walking and running are the best ways to build your bone strength.
Things To Watch Out For:
1. Do not eat whole grains and calcium rich products simultaneously. Whole grains contain a substance that tends to bind with calcium and prevents proper absorption of calcium by the body.
2. Smoking harms not just the lungs but also the bones because smoking tends to deplete the calcium and vitamin reserves in the body thereby depleting the bone mass.
3. Avoid high protein foods. These food items tend to cause calcium to be excreted from the body.
4. Consulting a medical practitioner or a dietician and nutrition expert before making any major modifications in your diet.