Exercise Guide

When Gail Kelley, President of Two Men and a Truck

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The bones of your spine are separated by pads called discs. As you age, these discs dry out and become smaller. However, regular exercise compresses and relaxes these discs as you move up and down. This helps to keep the discs from shrinking and maintains your height. Regular exercise also helps to strengthen bones and keep them from bending or being crushed. One study from Israel showed that people who exercise regularly lose only half as much height as people who never exercise — just 2.6 centimeters compared with 5.5 centimeters. If you have not already started exercising to prevent heart attacks, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and loss of mental function, and just to keep you feeling good, you should exercise to help you stand taller as you age.

When it comes to preventing osteoporosis, it matters little what you did when you were young, it’s what you do now that counts. A study from Malmo University in Sweden shows that men who were highly competitive soccer players in their youth and then gave up active sports did not have bigger and stronger bones and did not have fewer bone fractures than people who never exercised at all. On the other hand, people who did not exercise in their youth, but started and continued their exercise programs into later life did have larger and stronger bones.

In spite of this study, you still should start exercising when you are young. Good habits are usually developed when you are young. People who start exercising at an early age usually benefit by learning how to exercise. They take a harder workout on one day, followed by easy workouts until their muscle soreness disappears and they learn to take off when their muscles are sore.

Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen to hundreds of his fitness and health reports at http://www.DrMirkin.com

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Osteoporosis, which means “porous bones,” is a condition of excessive skeletal fragility resulting in weakened bones that break easily. A combination of genetic, dietary, hormonal, age-related, and lifestyle factors all contribute to this condition. Osteoporosis usually progresses painlessly until a fracture occurs, which is usually in the hip, spine, or wrist.

WHO IS AFFECTED?

*Overall, approximately eight million American women and 2 million men have osteoporosis.

*More women die from complications following hip-fractures than from major female cancers.

*Women are four times more likely than men to develop osteoporosis because of the loss of estrogen at menopause. (Estrogen blocks or slows down bone loss.)

*Over half of all women over the age of 65 have osteoporosis.

*Even though osteoporosis is often thought of as a disease that only affects older people, it can strike at any age.

*One in two women over the age of 50 will suffer an osteoporosis-related fracture.

WHAT ARE THE RISK FACTORS FOR OSTEOPOROSIS?

Factors that can increase your chances of developing osteoporosis include:

*Being female

*Having a small, thin body frame

*A family history of osteoporosis

*Being post-menopausal or of advanced age

*Being Caucasian or Asian

*Abnormal absence of menstrual periods

*Anorexia nervosa or bulimia

*Low testosterone levels in men

*Lack of calcium and vitamin D

*Inactive lifestyle

*Cigarette smoking

*Excessive use of alcohol and high salt, protein, and caffeine intake

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU HAVE OSTEOPOROSIS?

A family medical history and bone mass measurements are part of a complete assessment. Often a bone fracture is the first sign of osteoporosis. Ask your doctor to help you better understand your own risk and become aware of prevention and treatment options.

BONE DENSITY TESTS

Routine x-rays cannot detect osteoporosis until it is quite advanced, but there are other tests that can. There are several kinds of devices that estimate bone density and they require far less radiation than a chest x-ray.

Doctors consider a patient’s medical history and risk factors in deciding who should have a bone density test. Readings are compared to a standard for the patient’s age, sex and body size. Bone density tests are useful for confirming a diagnosis of osteoporosis if a person has already had a suspicious fracture.

HOW CAN YOU PROTECT YOURSELF FROM HAVING OSTEOPOROSIS?

Osteoporosis is usually preventable. Females need to take steps to protect the health of their bones while they are young. Building strong bones at a young age will lessen the effect of the natural bone loss that begins to occur later in life.

*Eat foods rich in calcium and vitamin D, such as low-fat milk, yogurt, cheese, fish with edible bones like salmon and sardines, and dark green, leafy vegetables, like kale and broccoli.

*Do aerobic exercises such as walking, jogging, hiking, and stair climbing. Exercise builds bone and muscle strength and helps prevent bone loss and improves coordination to prevent falls. It also helps older people stay active and mobile. Always check with your doctor before starting an exercise program.

*If you are postmenopausal, consider estrogen replacement.

*Consider using calcium supplements, but discuss the choice of supplements with your doctor first.

*Do not smoke.

*Limit alcoholic beverages.

FOODS THAT REDUCE THE RISK AND DEVELOPMENT OF OSTEOPOROSIS:

*Fruit - In particular those high in Vitamin C, like blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants, citrus fruit, kiwi fruit, peaches, mango, cantaloupe melon, apples. Also dried fruit like figs, apricots, and dates.

*Vegetables - In particular dark green vegetables like spinach, kale, collard greens, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, Chinese cabbage, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, carrots, red bell peppers, sweet potatoes.

*Dairy Foods - Low fat milk, yogurt and lower-fat cheese; or, calcium fortified soymilk & yogurt.

*Oily Fish - Rich omega-3 essential fatty acids and high in Vitamin E, like salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring, tuna and trout.

*Nuts and Seeds - Rich in omega-3 essential fatty acids and high in Vitamin E. Unsalted nuts, like walnuts, brazil nuts and almonds, and seeds like sunflower and pumpkin seeds.

*Pulses and Grains - Including soybeans, wheat germ, lentils, chick peas (garbanzo beans), brown rice, whole wheat bread, bulgur wheat, calcium-fortified breakfast cereals.

*Vitamin D - Vitamin D is essential in order to absorb calcium for foods. The best source of Vitamin D is exposing the skin to sunlight. Other sources are fortified margarines and dairy products, fortified breakfast cereals and oily fish.

Remember, osteoporosis is usually preventable. Take steps to make changes in your diet and lifestyle to decrease your chances of being diagnosed with osteoporosis.

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