In a world where everyone wants to be straight and tall are you aware that some people might lose their height? However strange or absurd it might sound but it is the truth. Not just loss of height but various other factors such as joint pain, bone pain, low energy fractures and even sudden back pain are some of the factors that can be caused due to osteoporosis. A condition that makes your bone brittle and has become a common problem in today’s world. This Osteoporosis Day let's spread awareness around this topic and help you to get stronger bones and prevent this disease. Here are a few lifestyle tweaks that you can follow in order to prevent the condition of Osteoporosis in the coming future and make your bones healthy and strong.
What is Osteoporosis?
Before getting ahead and learning about the preventive measures for Osteoporosis and ways to strengthen your bones, it is important to know what actually this condition is and the real cause behind it. The literal meaning of the word Osteoporosis is ‘porous bones’. Osteoporosis is one of the most common conditions in today's world which tends to make your bones porous and as a result makes them brittle and weak. As bones turn out to be weak due to this condition, they tend to fall off even with a mild stress. This condition takes place when the turnover of new bones is not able to match the speed of loss of the old ones and hence results in weak bones.
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Also Read: World Osteoporosis Day 2021: Here's Everything You Need To Know About Osteoporosis
On one hand where this disease or condition can affect adults of both genders, it is certainly observed that women who are past the stage of menopause are more likely to experience it.
The fractures related to this condition mostly occur in areas of the body such as the wrists, hips and spine. Some of the most common symptoms of Osteoporosis are back pain, joint pain, bone pain and in some cases even loss of height is observed in people.
Lifestyle Changes To Prevent Osteoporosis
It is not always some kind of pills or bitter syrups that you need in order to treat or prevent some condition. Some simple lifestyle changes and incorporating some healthy habits for that matter are sometimes enough to keep certain diseases and conditions at bay. As osteoporosis is a condition that makes your bones porous and turns them to be brittle and weak, including some healthy habits into your daily routine and eliminating the unhealthy ones can take you a long way. Here are a few tweaks that you can make in your lifestyle habits to keep osteoporosis at bay.
#1. Calcium And Vitamin D rich Diet
Since early childhood we all have been scolded to finish that glass of milk in the morning, in the evening and before bed. Where our parents and teachers have stressed so much on the importance of healthy bones and calcium intake, by now we all are aware about its importance in the process of building bones and keeping them healthy. Along with calcium there is another nutrient known as the ‘sunshine vitamin’ which is equally important for keeping your bones healthy and making them strong but is often ignored. Here we are talking about Vitamin D which is a crucial nutrient to keep your bones healthy. Those of you who have been hiding from that sun in order to save yourself from sun tan need to know this very well that without adequate levels of vitamin D, no matter how much calcium you consume, it would not be absorbed by the bones and ence make your bones brittle and porous.
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Including foods rich in calcium and getting adequate amounts of vitamin D either from sunlight or from supplements is what you can practice on a regular basis.
#2. Avoid
Sometimes it is not just about everything you do, but is about things that you don’t. It is not always about consuming more and more healthy stuff but avoiding unhealthy and damaging substances can be of a lot of help. Here we are talking about avoiding alcohol consumption and smoking cigarettes. Where these two habits easily tend to take up the form of addiction, it is important to quiet it at earliest possible. Not just it is harming your lungs but affects your overall body and has a direct impact on your bones that can lead to the occurrence of conditions such as osteoporosis. Heavy alcohol consumption can lead to decreased bone density which as a result makes the bones weak and increases the chances of fractures. On the other hand smoking is another activity that is associated with reduced bone strength and leads to bone loss.
#3. Exercising
Having an active lifestyle and making some light exercise a part of your daily routine hasn’t hurt anyone. Moreover it is a healthy habit that we all should follow in order to live a healthy life. Where it is not just your muscles but your bones as well that benefit from exercising. It is proven that some weight bearing exercises that push you against gravity are not just helpful in providing you with good posture and improving body balance but can also help in preventing conditions such as osteoporosis.
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Also Read: Doing Aerobics Daily Can Cut Down The Risk Of Alzheimer's Disease
Incorporating exercises and activities such as jogging, aerobics, dancing, yoga, water aerobics, stair climbing, walking, lifting free weights and practicing exercises such as squats and push up can help you in getting healthy and strong bones along with keeping the conditions like osteoporosis at bay.
By quitting the habit of excessive smoking and drinking, a person can reduce their risk of getting affected by conditions such as osteoporosis and keep the bones strong and healthy for long.
