Physical Activity & Strong Bones

Unlike your fingernails and your hair, your bones are made up of living cells.  The calcium salts are constantly being turned over and rebuilt in a dynamic process.  The osteoclasts reabsorb old, brittle bone and osteoblasts regenerate new, healthy and strong bone.  Weight-bearing exercise works to build stronger bones by stimulating  the osteoblasts.

Peak bone mass during childhood and adolescent years is one of the major factors that can either contribute to, or help prevent, osteoporosis down the road.  It makes sense to pay attention to building strong and healthy bones during the early years.  Unfortunately, most children and teens are not active enough to take full advantage of these formative bone-building years.  If you're a parent, heeding the advice to keep you kids active now will benefit their bones for decades to come.

If you are an adult, it is never too late to start building stronger bones.  It is true that once peak bone mass is achieved, it begins a slow decline, but exercise can help you to maintain healthy bone mass even as you get older. Physical activity during aging can help you to reduce skeletal structural decay and much more.

Walking, resistance training and strength training are among the most popular forms of weight-bearing exercise to build your bones. 

Whole Body Vibrational Training is another natural way to improve bone strength and density.  It is contraindicated however for individuals who already have osteoporosis, since it may be too much for their frail bones.  The Russians used this therapy to rebuild the bone density of cosmonauts after long space missions.

Exercise is, without a doubt, crucial for optimal bone health, but the following guidelines can also help you maintain, or increase, your bone strength safely and naturally at any age:

1.  Avoid processed foods, sugar and soda, which can increase bone damage by depleting your bones of calcium.

2.  Increase your consumption of raw, fresh vegetables, ideally organic produce.

3.  Optimize your vitamin D levels.   

4.  Consume fermented vegetables.

5.  Maintain a healthy balance between omega-6 and omega-3 fats in your diet.

For More Information:

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