How To Increase Bone Strength And Density As You Age
It is never too early to seriously think about preserving and increasing bone density. As time moves forward during the aging process, protecting bone health becomes a more pressing concern.
Therefore, there is no time like the present to find strategies to increase bone strength and density. The Mayo Clinic notes that our bones are continuously changing, with old bone breaking down to make way for new bone growth. While this process continues as we age, the resulting bone mass increase happens more effectively and at a much faster rate when we are young. What might come as the biggest surprise is that we reach our peak bone mass at around the age of 30. At that point, we begin to lose slightly more bone mass than we gain and at age 50, we start to lose bone mass, which leaves us at risk for bone fractures and osteoporosis.
While bone density loss and osteoporosis are common in aging adults, it is not one of the normal signs of aging at 60 or after.
With that in mind, all is not lost if you are starting to worry about bone strength and density as you age. As a matter of fact, there is plenty that you can do as you learn more about protecting, preserving and building bone strength and density as you get older. Rather than accepting osteoporosis as a fact of aging or as another of life's old age problems, there are ways to get stronger and build your bone strength.
Who Has Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a disease that occurs in the bones of men and women as we get older. As mentioned earlier, age plays a major role in overall bone health and eventual decline since growth comes to a halt by the time we reach our 30s. However, women account for an overwhelming 80% of diagnosed osteoporosis cases, reports The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health (OWH). Women who have gone through menopause stand an even greater chance of developing this disease. More specifically, Asian women face the greatest risk of developing osteoporosis due to their more typically small frames and lighter weight. Mexican and white women follow not far behind Asian women with one-in-four Mexican women and one-in-six white women receiving an osteoporosis diagnosis. We can't forget that 20% of osteoporosis diagnoses belong to men over age 50, which means that nearly 2 million American men suffer from this bone-thinning condition that makes them brittle and porous due to genetics, a lighter frame and body weight, or having adopted risk-associated behaviors at some point.
What Are Risk Factors and Causes?
Age, gender and hormones clearly play a role in whether you might develop osteoporosis, but there are additional factors and causes to consider. Review a few other elements of bone health and the risks of bone loss and osteoporosis:
The loss of the estrogen hormone leading up to and during menopause puts women at a significantly higher risk for poor bone health past the age of 50, making it essential for women to discuss performing a bone density scan with your physician. The reports that some women lose up to 25% of their bone mass in the 10 years following menopause. Men still need to take precautions to protect their bone health, so please don't tune out if you are a man reading this.
A poor or inadequate diet, lacking essential nutrients can leave our bones unsupported and at risk for bone density.
Lack of physical exercise, including strength training and weightlifting and weight-bearing cardiovascular exercise like walking or jogging, can negatively impact bone health.
Smoking, especially for long durations throughout life, puts women at a higher risk for lower bone density, bone breaks and earlier entry into menopause, which poses its own problems for bone health.
Additional causes and risk factors of decreased bone health and development of osteoporosis include consuming too much alcohol, having or having experienced an eating disorder, and taking certain medications to treat long-term health issues like thyroid disease, arthritis, lupus and asthma.
Can You Increase Bone Density After Age 60?
There is no reason to wait for a bone break after age 60 if you have received a poor bone density screening that shows you are heading toward developing or have developed osteoporosis. With some determination, decisive action and discipline, you can improve your bone health and your overall well-being by launching an attack against the bone deteriorating disease.
Here are some vital ideas and strategies on how to increase bone density.
How Much Calcium Do You Need?
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Osteoporosis and Related Bone Disease National Resource Center reminds us that calcium and Vitamin D are important at every age to support good bone health. Calcium is an essential component needed to protect our heart, muscles and nerves, allowing for proper functioning and clotting. The NIH states that inadequate calcium contributes to osteoporosis diagnoses. Unfortunately, most people do not consume enough calcium for peak bone health.
Here is the daily amount of calcium in milligrams (mg) required for adults to build and maintain strong bones heading toward the risk phases past age 50:
19-50-year-olds should consume 1,000mg per day
51-70-year-old males should consume 1,000mg per day
51-70-year-old females should consume 1,200mg per day
70-year-olds and over should consume 1,200mg per day
Supply Your Bones with the Proper Nutrients to Increase Bone Density
So, now we know how important calcium is to good bone health and how much we should consume. The next question is where to get what we need without consuming supplements.
The best way to ensure optimal calcium intake is to choose, prepare and eat calcium-rich foods.
The Best Foods to Eat for Building Bone Density
The simplest way to consume plenty of this vital mineral is through full-fat dairy products (avoiding low-fat versions of them), including yogurt, cheese, and milk. While foods from the dairy group are attractive to many of us, you can also track down the calcium you need if you are lactose-intolerant or do not consume dairy for other reasons.
Eat More Vegetables
Add more dark green vegetables to your daily menu, including broccoli, kale, spinach, arugula and collard greens.
Eat Foods Rich in Vitamins D and K
Many of the foods you need in order to get a wealth of vitamin D and K overlap with your calcium intake, including fatty fish and soy, but you can also add oranges, mushrooms and egg to round it all out. Also, don't forget to spend some quality time in the sunshine for maximum vitamin D intake and absorption.
Increase Protein Intake
Don't underestimate the value of fatty fish, which offer the perfect combination of healthy omega-3 fatty acids and calcium. Choose fish such as sardines and salmon. Another great source of minerals and vitamin D to add to your diet is red meat. Further, add more soy and tofu to further boost your protein intake.
Foods to Limit to Protect and Strengthen Your Bones
Many foods and beverages not only do not add value to a healthy diet for your bones, but they can promote damage. Foods and drinks you should avoid to protect your bones include alcohol, caffeine, sugars, and soft drinks. Additionally, avoid embarking on low-calorie diets that deprive your body of nutrients and can contribute to bone damage through excess weight loss and lowered bone mass.
Maintain a Healthy Weight and Stay Active
You have probably heard the advice that 30 minutes a day of weight-bearing exercise can strengthen bones and protect you from developing osteoporosis. It's all true. Healthy aging starts with a good exercise program. Consider the whole spectrum of possibilities of exercises to strengthen bones to find something that feels safe, you like and you will continue doing to stay healthy for years to come. Add in a mix of weight-bearing exercises like fitness walking, yoga, tai chi, strength training, weightlifting and occasional HIIT workouts. You might worry that women over 50 weight lifting or a HIIT workout over 50 is overdoing it, but you can find the right program to suit your current fitness level and your future goals.
A great way of finding and following the best fitness program for you is by trying out a health tracker that serves as a mobile app-based coach for people over 50. Explore the benefits of the Mighty Health app to get premium health coaching, exercise ideas and encouragement to achieve your goals and keep your bones healthy!
