How to Keep Your Bones Healthy: 5 Super Ways

Do you remember how mothers used to roam around you with a glass of milk, telling you to drink it because it’s healthy? We never paid attention to it. But turns out she was right. Right from an early age up to adolescence, our bones and muscles start developing at a rapid speed.

Up to 90% of peak bone mass is acquired by the age of 18 in girls and 20 in boys.

That is why it is extremely necessary that from a young age, proper nutrition is maintained because as you get older, the bones become less and less dense.

This leads to falling prone to a medical condition called osteoporosis. About 1% of men and 11% of women around the world, above the age of 65 are affected by it, every year.

Now we certainly don’t want ourselves or our parents to fall into this category. And, the good news is, it’s never late to start taking care of your body bones and prevent density loss.

So, let’s see what are some 5 super ways you can do that.

1. Eat calcium-rich food

Calcium is the best food source that can keep your bones stronger.

Consuming enough calcium from an early age can not only increase the speed of your bone development but can also protect it from wear and tear.

So, build a habit of drinking at least one glass of milk every day. Apart from milk, you should also include yogurt, cheese, paneer (solidified milk) in your diet regularly.

But if you are allergic to dairy, include non-dairy sources of calcium such as fortified soy beverages, white or brown rice, canned salmon with bones, green leafy vegetables, beans, nuts, dry fruits, and others.

2. Consume vitamin D

Vitamin D is also very important to keep your bones strong and healthy. Vitamin D is also a brilliant nutrient that helps to absorb calcium in your bones, so make sure to get at least 1000 to 2000 IU of vitamin D daily.

Since it’s not possible to calculate a specific amount, try to get sunlight for at least 30 minutes every day. If you are living in areas where there isn’t enough sunlight, don’t skip taking vitamin d supplements.

It isn’t as effective as natural vitamin D, so be conscious of your diet. There are also vegan vitamins available online, so don’t worry about that.

3. Maintain a proper weight

It has been proved that maintaining a proper weight is effective against bone loosing. But it is easier said than done, because many of us fluctuate a lot between our weights

Being underweight increases your chances of osteoporosis. Being obese makes you prone to bone breakage and fracture due to excess weight.

Switching between being obese and thin can also lead to a lot of bone loss. So, if you fall in any of the categories you need to keep a check on it, and try to attain the best weight your age demands.

4. Stay active

Since, physical activity is a great contributor for weight maintenance, a good amount of it will be good for overall fitness. For strengthening bones specifically, you need to stay active for at least 30 mins every day.

During this time, you can indulge in strength training exercises like walking, running, swimming, hiking and golf (outdoor or even indoors with golf launch monitors). Weight training such as push ups and weight lifting that also impacts your muscles.

Or, if you are an absolute beginner then 30 mins of yoga and walking will be an ideal choice.

5. Quit every unhealthy habit

If you want to live a healthy, disease-free life then quit all bad habits right now. It will be tough at first but with a proper mindset it can be tackled.

These bad habits include – drinking too much caffeine, smoking and consuming alcohol. Caffeine decreases your body’s capacity to absorb calcium. So, aim for not having more than 2 cups a day.

Drinking alcohol reduces the bone density if consumed more than 3 drinks per day, so try not going above that.

Smoking is not only bad for your lungs but also causes bone loss and is more prone to breakage than non-smokers. Try to seek help from a doctor or do it yourself, but aim for completely quitting it.

Over to you…

Now that you are aware of all the super ways to keep your bones strong, try to never break this habit. Because only with a continuous habit, you will be able to keep yourself fit from every kind of disease there is.