How bout them bones? Osteoporosis a concern? I have to admit that I had a recent scare when I slow-mo crashed up hill on my mountain bike. That incident when my unprotected elbow crashed into a fairly substantial rock, made me a little concerned then I realized, I’m doing everything I can to keep my parts as healthy as possible so I should be good.
And you can too. Even though we hear about brittle bones more as we mature, osteopenia or osteoporosis are not a part of the normal aging process. All you have to do is be sure you’re protecting yourself by fittin in the following simple lifestyle habits.
What you can do to protect them bones…
- Eat plenty of Fruits, Veggies, Proteins, Good Fats (JERF it baby) and Vitamin D found in a good quality foods or supplements like fermented cod liver oil butter oil blend.
- Engage in Weight Bearing and Strength Training exercise. Yep even though biking is one of my favorite activities it doesn’t cut it as an exercise protector because it’s NOT weight bearing. Here’s a few examples of higher impact and lower impact weight bearing exercises that count.
Higher Impact
- Hiking
- Tennis
- Jogging/running
- Jump Rope
- Dancing
- Stair climbing
- Tennis
Lower Impact
- Walking outdoors
- Using stair-step machines
- Using elliptical training machines
- Low-impact aerobics
- Treadmill walking
If you’re strapped for time and you need to squeeze something quick in, choose a few strength training exercises. In my opinion, strength training is king because there aren’t many other activities that can give your bones the necessary stress to keep strong. And don’t think you have to join a gym (I hate gyms) and become Arnold either. You can get plenty o’ protection from doing something as simple as what we trainer folk call a Prisoner Squat (check out the video below if you’re not sure how to do one)
Prisoner Squat
3.Avoid smoking and limit alcohol to 2-3 drinks per day.
Only three little additions to your lifestyle can help prevent bone issues down the road. If you’re not already doing them, give it a try and let us know how things are going in the comment section below.