The skeleton that supports your every move is always remodeling. When bones are sufficiently and properly stressed (as during weight-bearing and resistance exercise activities), bones become stronger and healthier.
Osteopenia and osteoporosis are diseases that involve a breakdown in the normal healthy bone remodeling process. When bones don’t properly remodel, they can become less dense (thinned) and more porous. This makes bones weaker and less able to withstand dynamic forces.
The good news is that there are many proactive things you can do to keep your skeleton strong and dynamic:
- Don’t smoke
- Limit caffeine and alcohol intake
- Limit couch and computer time-lead an active lifestyle
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Eat healthy and nutritious foods
- Monitor your daily calcium and vitamin D intake
- Exercise safely and effectively
The physical therapists at Ivy Rehab are a valuable source of help to guide you on your way to sustaining the healthiest bones possible. We can teach you specific exercises to facilitate INCREASED bone density or even MINIMIZE bone loss. We can help advise you on how to adjust your home environment and movement patterns to protect your bone health and reduce fall risk. We can objectively measure and improve most balance impairments to keep your bones protected from the fractures which occur when weakened bone health combines with an unexpected fall episode.
Keep in mind the National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends the following guidelines for daily adult Calcium and Vitamin D intake (includes foods and supplements)
Calcium
- Women 50 or younger = 1,000mg daily
- Women 51 and up = 1,200mg daily
- Men 70 or younger = 1,000mg daily
- Men 71 and up = 1,200mg daily
Vitamin D
- Men and Women younger than 50 = 400 – 800 IU daily
- Men and Women 50 plus = 800 – 1,000 IU daily
Interested in reading more? Learn more about osteoporosis physical therapy and treatments.
You can read more at the National Osteoporosis Foundation or the American Physical Therapy Association. Don’t forget to check with your primary care doctor prior to starting new exercise regimens!
To request an appointment at Ivy Rehab, click here.
Katrin L Ramsey, DSc, PT
