How to keep your bones strong as you age

When we look at bone structure in our body, we tend to think that these are just solid rock structures that don’t grow, yet they are living tissues that always change with time and age. Factors, which contribute to bone strength and health are like genetic factors, the type of food we eat and the amount of physical activity we always engage in.

Either you have been diagnosed with any bone illness or not, there are few things to note to strengthen your bones. Always try to maintain a good posture when you sit, stand, work or play to avoid putting so much stress on your spine. By doing these, you will be protecting your back from unnecessary back pain and spinal fractures.

How do you maintain a good posture? While sitting, make sure you don’t stay in the same position or slouch forward for a prolonged period. Doing this will somehow put pressure on your lower back and tighten the adjacent muscle making you feel pain as a result.

 Once in a while, just stand up and stretch. Stretch to a point you feel some tension for about 15 to 40 seconds. You can stand and move around a bit before you go back to your workstation.

When standing, it’s highly advisable to stand upright. Maintain a normal curve at your low back and don’t lock your knees. Make sure you always pull your tummy in so as to prevent it from sagging.

While lifting even the slightest objects, make sure you use your legs instead of your back as you go down. Reach down by squatting while maintaining your chest upright. Avoid bending forward. Always point your feet to the direction you are moving and avoid movement that makes your body twist.

Just be conscious and aware of your posture when you are working on your desk, computer, gardening, cleaning your home or even picking up your child. Prevention is far much better than cure and safety should always be the first thing to think of.

Another way to go about it is doing weight-bearing exercises because any time you do any physical activity - be it climbing or descending the stairs, running, jumping or anything intense, the impact usually exerts some force on areas like the limbs. Regular exercises like weighted lunges, leg press or squats strengthen these parts plus the connection tissues, which in turn, encourages bone formation.

Other examples of activities you can engage in to promote bone formation are uphill walks, brisk walking, high-impact aerobics, ball sports and jumping ropes. Just in case you want to increase and strengthen bone density around your spine, always to try utilize free weights like dumbbells, rings and ankle weights while doing exercises that work your hips, thighs, core and lower back areas.

You can still ask your trainer to design a nice strength-training programme that will involve or work your major muscle groups like the butt, hip, back and spine. These are area common to bone ailment such as sciatica and osteoporosis.

Make sure the exercise you intend to do is safe for your heart. Consult your physician on which exercise is safe for you and especially if you know you suffer from osteoporosis or lower back pains.