Archives For Healthy Bones

Keeping in mind that almost 90% of the peak bone mass is acquired by the age of 18, and 20 by boys and girls respectively, it should be obvious that deposits for fighting the osteoporosis are made in childhood. What is less clear are the ways how those deposits are made. Increased physical activity, for instance, can lead to long-term tissue damage caused by injuries.

Still, the positive impact of physical activity on bone development is too big to be ignored, so if all the precautionary measures are taken, kids should not be prevented from entering the sport fields. Let us look at some of the activities that can benefit their bones the most and what else kids can learn from them.

american football

Football

The most popular sport in the US involves a wide range of motions from different body parts, so it is obvious that it also benefits a very large number of bones. Playing for a junior football team will also teach your kid time-management and working within a group. Now, football is inherently a harsh collision sport, but in most cases, injuries are nothing more than simple bruises. Do your best to mitigate the potential risk, though, by buying extra padding for your kid and checking for signs of concussion after each practice.

cheer squad

Cheerleading

Where you have a school football team, you have a cheer squad to go with it. Unlike many other sports, it requires full-body toning and conditioning, but unfortunately, there is little you can do about the muscle pulls, and ligament strains commonly associated with gymnastics. Still, you can always ask the coach not to push your kid over their limits.

soccer team

Soccer

Soccer is played exclusively with legs, so it is best suited for strengthening the leg bones, but it makes up for that by providing young players with excellent balance, dexterity and coordination benefits. Also, constant running has a positive effect on cardiovascular health while the fluid play style can improve your kid’s communication and teamwork skills. Keep them safe from common leg injuries with adequate soccer equipment, and allow your kid 48 to 72 hours of rest time between games.

eaglebrook lacrosse

Lacrosse

The fastest growing sport in the United States is in many ways similar to football, but although it looks pretty dangerous, lacrosse is much safer than either football or hockey. This does not change the fact that lacrosse is very physically demanding, so it also has a positive impact on kids’ bones. It can also help smaller kids, which are not best suited for football, to overcome their self-confidence issues. As with football, injuries can be prevented by keeping helmets and padding in good shape and on your body at all times during the game.

What we can learn from all of these four examples is that, while the possibility of injury is present in any kind of sport that requires increased physical activity from players, the benefits they provide to kids, both bone-related and those which are not, are more than worth the risk. According to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), more than 21.47 million kids between the age 6 and 17 are engaged in some kind of sport activity. Take all the precautionary measures, and let your kid be one of them.

It is assumed that in the future, osteoporosis will pose a growing medical and socioeconomic problem. Not only can it have a devastating impact on the quality of life of older people, but they can also become a ‘burden’ to their environment and the health system.

Keeping Up with Your Calcium

Advantages of calcium and vitamin D

Good nutrition is important at all ages in order to maintain healthy bones. Calcium intake reduces bone loss and reduces the risk of vertebral fractures. Calcium intake during childhood may be the cause of increased bone density in adulthood. This increase in bone density can reduce the risk of fractures later in life. Calcium is also useful for other organic systems by reducing blood pressure and cholesterol levels and regular intake of calcium supplements and vitamin D is useful in the prevention of tooth loss in adults.

Calcium recommendations

General recommendations – Premenopausal women and men should consume at least 1,000 mg of calcium per day, while postmenopausal women not taking estrogen should consume 1500 mg per day.

Calcium in the diet – Primary sources of calcium are milk and dairy products such as cheese and yogurt, as well as green vegetables, such as spinach. Some cereals, soy products and fruit juices are enriched with up to 1,000 mg of calcium per serving.

Calcium supplements – The body can absorb calcium from supplements, as well as from the food. If it is not possible to get enough calcium from a regular diet, consult your doctor to determine the appropriate type, dose and time of supplements.

What is osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is a common bone disorder that leads to progressive loss of bone density and mass. As a result, the bones become thin, weak and easy to break. The amount of calcium which normally ensures the rigidity of the bone tissue and the bone, which provides the support of the bone is reduced. Such a fragile and porous bones are increasingly susceptible to various physical stresses. Osteoporosis is a major cause of serious disability of older people. Hip fracture caused by osteoporosis can happen in one of three women and one in five men under the age of eighty-five years. Despite the existence of objective possibilities, osteoporosis remains under-diagnosed and poorly treated.

 

Keeping Up with Your CalciumThe symptoms of osteoporosis

The symptoms of osteoporosis may go for years unobserved. The first sign of osteoporosis is a bone fracture. Symptoms are different for different bones. Pain in the spine is the main sign of weak parietal bones. For years, it leads to severe pain in the lower part of the spine and loss of height. The fractures in osteoporosis occur during normal activities. Generally, it is not about some big trauma. Hip fracture, which usually occurs after a fall, with osteoporosis may be due to some minor accidents and strikes in that area. Regular physical activity, maintaining flexibility of bone and joint structure can reduce the chance of fractures.

Treatment

A number of treatments can help prevent bone loss. However, the first step in the prevention or treatment of osteoporosis is the use of foods and beverages rich in calcium, a mineral essential for bone strength, and vitamin D, which helps calcium absorption.

Since the diagnosis of osteoporosis usually arrives too late, it is very important to adopt the culture of preventive examinations. Osteodensitometry is recommended for women older than 65 years, women in menopause who have at least one risk factor for osteoporosis, all women with spontaneous bone fractures, people whose height is reduced by at least 2.5 cm and so on.