Pain, stiffness and loss of function are some of the common problems associated with bones and joints. I have seen so many people who tend to dismiss joint pains and body aches as part of ageing and quietly endure the pain. Actually it’s our poor eating habits, unhealthy lifestyle and lack of physical activity, that are making our bones weak and leading to severe problems like osteoporosis and arthritis. Adopt these lifestyle changes to make bones healthy and strong.
KEEP WEIGHT IN CONTROL
If you want to maintain the health of your bones and want pain free joints, keep your weight in check. Being overweight may increase inflammation in the body that raises risk for developing osteoarthritis, the most common joint disorder. Excess weight puts additional stress on weight-bearing joints (the knee joint and hip joint, for example). All this leads to severe joint pain. If you are overweight and your body is deficient in calcium and vitamin D then there are high chances of developing osteoporosis.
Losing weight can go a long way toward reducing the pressure on your joints — and protecting them.
YOGA IS BENEFICIAL TO MAKE BONES HEALTHY
Yoga, unlike other forms of exercise, benefits bones by creating tension on the bone without damaging cartilage or stressing the joints. Yoga exercises lengthen muscles and holds them there. That pull of muscle on the bone is the single major factor in bone strength.
Stretching exercises of Yoga improve the body flexibility which in turn helps the joints, tendons, and muscles. People suffering with OA (osteoarthritis) or RA (rheumatoid arthritis) have seen great improvement in their stiffness, pain and other arthritic symptoms by doing yoga.
MAKE EXERCISE ROUTINE
To make bones healthy and strong, make exercise a part of your daily routine. When we are younger, exercise is important for building strong bones and it is essential for maintaining bone strength when we are older. Regular physical activity, including bone-friendly exercises (weight-bearing exercises like walking, running etc. and muscle-strengthening activities like lifting weight) will help keep bones strong and slow the rate of bone loss, even in people with osteoporosis.
Before starting any exercise, it’s very important to consult your physiotherapist first, so that he can guide you according to your age and body type.
DIET RICH IN CALCIUM
Calcium is crucial for maintaining the necessary level of bone mass to support the structures of the body. When you don’t consume enough calcium, the body extracts it from your bones which weakens them and makes them more likely to fracture. Lack of sufficient calcium in the diet significantly increases the risk of developing osteoporosis.
The best way to get calcium is through food. Have calcium rich diet to make bones healthy like low fat dairy products (yogurt, cheese and especially milk), dark green leafy vegetables (spinach, broccoli and kale), fish(salmon, sardines), oranges, almonds etc. Calcium supplements are also available.
VITAMIN D IS ESSENTIAL
Without sufficient vitamin D, bones can become thin, brittle, or misshapen. It’s deficiency causes rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. Vitamin D helps your body absorb the minerals calcium and phosphorus from the food you eat which is important for bone health. Together with calcium, it helps protect older adults from osteoporosis.
Vitamin D is naturally made by your body when you expose your skin to the sun. Foods high in vitamin D include fish oils, fatty fish, mushrooms, beef liver, cheese, and egg yolks. It is also widely added to many foods such as milk, orange juice and soy beverages and can also simply be consumed as a supplement.
DON’T FORGET VITAMIN C
Vitamin C is essential nutrient to maintain bone density and bone quality. It is known to promote osteoblast (cells responsible for making new bone material) activity and bone remodeling.
Good sources of vitamin C include citrus fruits (lemon, orange, grapes, strawberry etc.), potatoes, tomatoes, red and green peppers, broccoli etc.
BOOST BONE DENSITY WITH VITAMIN K
We generally switch to calcium in the form of supplements or milk in order to boost bone density and prevent osteoporosis. But actually it’s Vitamin K that boosts bone density even more. Recent researches have shown , “men and women with the highest intake of vitamin K are 65% less likely to suffer a debilitating hip fracture as compared to those with the lowest intake of vitamin K.”
The best food sources of vitamin K are leafy green vegetables (spinach, kale, lettuce etc.), broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, fish, liver, meat and eggs.
ADVICE
- Your sodium to potassium ratio plays an important role in maintaining bone mass. Decrease intake of sodium, avoid too much of salt. Increase potassium rich diet like banana, potato, orange juice, broccoli.
- Don’t sit at one place for prolonged period of time.
- Avoid too much of caffeine and drink less of tea, coffee and cold drinks.
- People who drink heavily are more prone to bone loss and fractures because of poor nutrition and harmful effects on calcium balance and hormonal factors. So, say no to alcohol and smoking.
- Don’t delay in consulting your doctor regarding any joint pains.