Lifestyle and Bone Health

It is rare that women consider their bone health before the onset of any injuries or diseases to the bones. As such, once they take notice of their bone health, chances are that any disease they may have noticed is already advanced. That is why it is important for women to pay attention to their bone health starting when they are still young.

The correlation between bone health and lifestyle has been given tremendous importance in recent years because of findings in several studies that lifestyle has a huge impact on the bone health of women. Most often, ignoring bone health and healthy lifestyle leads to osteoporosis and other risk factors to the bones such as fractures.

Lifestyles That are Detrimental to Women’s Bone Health

There are certain lifestyles and habits that are harmful to the bone health of women. Some of these are the following:

* Smoking. Smoking is one of the most common unhealthy activities that some women indulge in that is very harmful to their bone health. This is because smoking takes away the calcium in your bones, weakening their structure. When this happens, risks to fractures are multiplied.

* Drinking. Drinking, just like smoking, is also harmful to the body. This is because the habit takes away some of the body’s nutrients, making the body susceptible to bone diseases.

* Poor Nutrition. Sometimes because of the very hectic daily schedule and the pressing demands at work and the need to take care of the family, most women pay little attention to what they may eat. As a result, nutrition for better bone health is absent. Because of this lifestyle, the bones become poorer in health as time passes by, making them very prone to injuries and bone diseases.

* Unhealthy Posture. This is one of the huge mistakes women make without knowing that it is harmful to their bones. Practicing healthy posture should begin at a young age. This should be done in order not to overburden the bones when working, either sitting or standing.

* Sedentary lifestyle. For women who do not get regular exercise, they may be doing greater damage to their bones than those who regularly exercise. Even just walking and light weight lifting are proven very valuable in promoting good bone health.

Improving Women’s Bone Health

For women to improve their bone health, the following should be observed:

* Make sure that your body has sufficient supply of calcium and Vitamin D. These two nutrients are very vital for promoting good bone health. Calcium strengthens the bones, while Vitamin D makes calcium absorption faster and better. They can be obtained from fresh fruits and vegetables and dairy products such as eggs, milk, and butter.

* Get hooked on the active lifestyle. Make exercising a regular habit. This is to strengthen the bone structure, making them sturdy.

* Avoid drinking and smoking that have detrimental effects on bone health.

* Avoid lifting weights that may be too heavy for you as this may cause injury to the bones.

by: James Pendergraft
Source : www.articlecity.com