Osteoporosis: What It Is and How to Avoid It
A conversation with my mother in law about keeping her bones and muscles strong, lead me to believe that maybe a lot of women don’t know the risks they face if they don’t do any resistance training.
I want to educate you on osteoporosis: what it is, why you should care, and what you can do to avoid it.
What is osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a disease that effects the density of your bones. Those with osteoporosis will break bones more easily than those without osteoporosis due to their weak bone density.
Most often seen in those 65+, if someone with osteoporosis falls they are much more likely to break a bone due to this disease. Unfortunately, that can be life threatening for the elderly.
Who is at risk for osteoporosis?
As a woman you are unfortunately, according to the Office on Women’s Health, “Of the estimate 10 million Americans with osteoporosis, more than 8 million (or 80%) are women.”
While you can still be at risk in your younger years, this is most often found in the elderly. 1 in 4 women 65 and older has osteoporosis.
Why are women at higher risk?
As stated by the OASH, women are more likely to get osteoporosis due to:
“women often live longer than men. Bone loss happens naturally as we age”
“women lose more bone mass after menopause with very low levels of the hormone estrogen”
How can I avoid getting osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a disease that once you have it, it’s too late. Start NOW with preventative measures like:
Resistance training! You don’t have to lift heavy, but you need to keep your muscles and bones strong. Resistance training increases bone density and makes you stronger. Build a solid foundation now, so that you can be healthier in your older age.
Get enough calcium and vitamin D. We’ve all heard the phrase “milk builds strong bones” because of the calcium in milk. Make sure you have enough calcium to keep your bones healthy and strong.
Drink in moderation. Alcohol lowers the density of your bones.
Talk to your doctor about what you can do to avoid osteoporosis.
Taking care of yourself now can help you avoid diseases like this as you age. Just because you are young and seemingly healthy, doesn’t mean that you should take your health for granted and wait until a problem arises to start to make positive changes!
