Bone mass improves as you age to a peak between 25 to 30 years before slowly deteriorating beyond 40 years. Even though our body can repair itself and build new bones, it has its limitations. The more you ignore your bone strength, the more fragile it becomes. This is why strengthening your bones is crucial to preventing osteoporosis.
Fortunately, strengthening your bones is not as complicated as it seems. It can be as simple as walking regularly. Spending lots of time on your feet strengthens the connective tissue in each joint and stabilizes the body. But you also want to avoid substance abuse by drinking alcohol or smoking, which could speed up bone loss.
If you have low bone density, the good news is that you can turn that around, saving yourself health risks that could occur later in life. Here are five tips for improving bone strength that works!
1. Eat a Healthy Diet
There’s no shortcut; you need healthy foods to improve your bone mass. That means a diet rich in vitamin D, zinc, magnesium, and calcium for healthy bones. You can get this by eating various foods such as fish, whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and milk.
Soy is one of the best-known superfoods good for your bones. It is high in zinc and low in calories (containing only 3 calories per gram), making it a perfect protein-packed, low-calorie source of essential minerals like calcium and iron. Additionally, soy is rich in vitamins, such as K2 and B6, which help to increase bone mineral density.
Moreover, soy contains isoflavones that have been shown to reduce the risk of osteoporosis when consumed in quantity. And you can find high-quality, versatile soy products that you can add to your diet easily.
2. Be Active
We all know that staying active is great for your health and the key to a longer life, but what exactly does it mean in bone strength? You must be active throughout the day, not just at the gym. It means you do things throughout the day, even just standing up from your desk, walking around the office, or cleaning your desk.
It also means using more than just your muscles and bones. Your hands are muscles, and your neck and back are made of bone, so you need to use them, too. Engaging in various activities forces you to use muscles and joints that you do not typically use. You are also strengthening ligaments and tendons that help support your joints.
3. Get a Good Night’s Sleep
Improving your sleep is probably the biggest thing you can do to strengthen your bones. Adequate sleep is vital for your body to repair itself and build new tissue. Lack of sleep can lead to reduced growth hormones and weak bones.
Sleep is vital because it helps your body build and repair tissue while regulating hormones like insulin and glucose. Insulin is a hormone that absorbs nutrients, amino acids, and oxygen to cells for protein synthesis and energy production. Decreased sleep could lead to higher insulin levels, causing an increase in fat.
The key to getting a good night’s sleep is to make sure you are consistent. Be it going to bed at the same time every night or turning off the bright lights in your room at least 30 minutes before bed. You could also try taking a bath before sleep or listening to a quiet lullaby.
4. Strengthen Your Core
One of the most critical parts of strengthening your bones is strengthening your core. The core consists of the muscles surrounding your back and abdomen. Strengthening the core is good for posture, improves steadiness, and allows you to perform movements more easily.
Some well-known exercises for strengthening your core include sit-ups, leg raises, reverse crunches, plank, and glute bridges. Remember, it’s not just about the number of reps you do but also the quality of the movement that will give you the best results. For example, during crunches, you want to keep your shoulders off the floor and your abs tight. You might need the help of a professional trainer at first to ensure you are doing it right.
5. Don’t Stress Yourself Out
Ensure you are healthily pushing yourself and not stressing out too much. According to studies, stress triggers activation of the sympathetic nervous system and HPA (a network of the adrenal gland, pituitary gland, and hypothalamus). This suppresses the production of growth hormone and the gonadal hormone and increases the secretion of inflammatory cytokines. All these lead to bone loss and interfere with bone formation.
Besides, stress can hurt your health in so many ways. It can cause you to gain weight, have a weaker immune system, and have higher cortisol levels in your body. These things can all negatively impact your bone health! It can also cause you to be less active and even skip meals because you’re too stressed from work or school.
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Conclusion
You can do many things to strengthen your bones without joining a gym or spending on expensive supplements. The most important thing you can do is to be active and eat a healthy diet. If you perform the activities mentioned in the article, you will be well on your way to strengthening your bones. The earlier you start strengthening your bones, the stronger they will be. Now, let’s go strengthen your bones!
