Did you know that human bones are four times stronger than concrete? However, despite various fun facts that prove their strength, as well as the amount of stress they can withstand, these organs are hard on the outside but spongy on the inside. Contrary to popular belief, bones are living tissue. They have several important roles since they support the whole body, store minerals, produce red and white blood cells, and protect internal organs. People usually aren’t even aware that their bones need to be looked after, and that a balanced diet, regular physical activity, and breaking bad habits such as smoking and alcohol use, can significantly improve their skeletal health.
Feel It in Your Bones
Human bones grow and develop during childhood and adolescence and that process is called bone modeling. However, that’s not all, as another process called remodeling occurs throughout a person’s adult life, and this basically means that old and damaged bone tissue is removed and replaced with the new tissue. In other words, adults get a new skeleton every 10 years. Remodeling consists of resorption, or the breakdown of bone tissue, and formation, or creation of the new bone matrix which is composed of various proteins, mainly collagen. The body needs calcium, phosphorus,magnesium and other minerals in order to strengthen the matrix and make it hard, but there are
certain factors that can negatively affect bone health and practically diminish the effects of minerals.
● For example, it’s not enough to simply take calcium as the body won’t properly absorb it unless it’s paired with vitamin D. Dig in and enjoy tuna, eggs, cereal, shrimp, sardines, and other foods rich in this vitamin.
● Vitamin K is also responsible for bone density, as it can prevent the body from excreting calcium. Kale, broccoli, and spinach are jam-packed with vitamin K.
● Bananas, yogurt, and sweet potatoes are rich in potassium. This mineral neutralizes acids that eliminate calcium from the body.
● Soft drinks, especially those with caffeine and phosphoric acid, are linked to low bone mineral density, and subsequently with osteoporosis. The same goes for tobacco, alcohol, and coffee.
Don’t Be a Lazybones
Regular physical activity is one of the most important factors for keeping your bones healthy. According to a research study, a sedentary lifestyle can significantly contribute to osteoporosis.
Although it’s believed that mainly women are particularly susceptible to this disease, estimates say that one in five men sustains a fractured bone because of osteoporosis. Various workouts, such as jogging, dancing, brisk walking, or step aerobics, are beneficial for increasing bone density. However,weightlifting is considered to be highly useful for reducing the risk of osteoporosis. In order to avoid injuries, protect the lower back, and the organs in the abdomen,lifting belts have been used
for overtwo centuries. Knowing your limits is essential when you’re working out, so listen to your body and never push it too hard. Warm-up exercises are a must if you want to protect your muscles and bones. Proper form and equipment will help you stay safe and healthy. Still, no matter how hard you try,injuries happen, and that’s no reason for dropping your workout routine. First of all, talk everything through with your physician, and test all the movements to see if you’re ready to go back to your
training.
●In case of a lower back injury, avoid squats and the deadlift. The bench press is a safe option in this case.
●Knee pain means that you should forget about activities which involve jumping such as
soccer, rugby, or basketball. A good idea is to try a kettlebell swing.
●Common shoulder injuries are very painful, and this means that you can do only workouts that don’t make you feel uncomfortable.
The trick is to start slowly and stop the very minute you feel any pain.
You’re Only as Old as You Feel
Old age doesn’t have to be that bad. Taking care of your health when you’re young is a kind ofinsurance policy that your autumn years will be pleasant. Still, diseases can be unpredictable andsometimes even people who don’t smoke, drink alcohol, or eat unhealthy food become ill. As you get older, your cells can’t rejuvenate and renew as they used to when you were young. Thus, bone resorption exceeds formation, meaning that your bone tissue can’t be regenerated. This leads to osteoporosis, a disease that makes bones brittle and prone to breaking. The loss of estrogen, which
affects women after the menopause, rapidly reduces bone density. Another shocking stat is that approximately 2,000 000 men in the U.S. have fallen victim to osteoporosis. With proper nutrition, exercising, treatment and supplements, it’s possible to manage this unpleasant, and sometimes even debilitating condition. It certainly shouldn’t be taken lightly, but a change of lifestyle can improve the situation and prevent further loss of bone density and fractures. The sooner you start kicking your bad habits, the better.
As you can see, even though calcium plays a crucial role in keeping your bones healthy, there are some other factors responsible for helping your body run like clockwork.
Featured photo by: Pixabay
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