Top Tips To Help Prevent/Mitigate Osteoporosis

Whether you have osteoporosis or not, we must all work to keep our bones strong and healthy. Good nutrition and physical exercise can ameliorate risk and are key, but family history and personal history of fractures are critical. And please, discuss these tips with your doctor to make sure they are suitable for your situation.

See a Doctor/Prevent falls: Get regular screenings, wear low-heeled shoes, and limit alcohol. Too much alcohol can injure your bones. Medical treatment can prevent further loss of bone and lessen your risk of fractures.

Eat Well – Include lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and make sure you’re eating enough protein to build bones. Low-fat dairy and leafy green vegetables are good sources of calcium. Talk to your doctor about whether you may need Vitamin D.

Exercise – Doctors recommend weight-bearing exercise which can strengthen the bones. Walking is good but a higher-impact workout like a Zumba class is better. Physical activity can help build bones. Older people should also lift weights to strengthen muscles and bones and do balance exercises including tai chi and yoga.

 “You don’t have to go to the gym,” says Dr. Deborah Kado, co-director of the Stanford Longevity Center and a professor of medicine and chief of research for the Geriatrics Section in the Department of Medicine, Division of Primary Care and Population Health. “But you have to be active because if you don’t use your body, you will lose it. Walking will help but also do jumping jacks and exercises that get you up and down from the floor. I have a lot of Chinese patients who have no problem getting off the floor. You must be able to get up and down.”