Osteoporosis is one of the most common issues that affect bones today – often times a result of frugal calcium intake and poor lifestyle habits when it comes to diet and exercise. Your bones should be in good order and shape if you want to stay healthy and move about in your old age. On this World Osteoporosis Day, make a commitment to your well being! It’s never late to start to make an impact on your bone health. Here are a few tips you can follow:

1. Make sure you eat healthy and nutritious food. Half the battle is won if you have a good dietary system that supplements your body with nutrition and minerals to remain healthy.

2. Never neglect exercise! The more you exercise and the more you move about, the better it is for your joints. Think of your joints like the hinges of a door – not moving them will make them creaky, rusty and completely rigid!

3. Stock up on Vitamin D – and while you’re thinking this is best acquired through a pill, your best bet is really to indulge in some time under the sun. Nothing synthesizes your Vitamin D consumption better than direct exposure to sunlight. But keep it to a reasonable amount, so that you don’t wind up sunburned!

4. Avoid smoking. Smoking increases the rate of bone loss, especially because it reduces the vital capacity of the lungs – which in turn reduces oxygen in the blood, and that results in weak bone marrow.

5. Avoid alcohol, or if you simply must drink, moderate your portions of alcohol. If you drink, drink no more than two drinks a day for men and one drink a day for women, as alcohol can have disparaging impacts on your bone health.

6. Ensure that your meat consumption remains in moderation if you want to have healthy bones. Calcium and phosphorus are vital components in digesting animal protein, and eating too much of meat can take away the supply of these minerals to your bone.

7. Make sure that you regulate your sodium consumption. Taking excessive sodium can cause calcium to leach out of your bones, and to expel it through the urine – which makes the bones far weaker!

References:

http://www.worldosteoporosisday.org/

http://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/living-with-osteoporosis-7/lifestyle-tips

http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20365458,00.html

http://www.healthline.com/health-slideshow/build-strong-bones