Research has shown that women reach their peak bone mass by age 20. Unfortunately many women in their 20’s don’t think about their bone health until it’s too late. By getting an early start, you will increase your chance of having healthier bones as you age. Marjorie Luckey, MD, medical director at Saint Barnabas Osteoporosis Center in Livingston, New Jersey, says Luckey recommends these tips for healthy bones at every age.
20’s
1. Stop smoking. Smoking cigarettes (among many other health issues) decreases the number of bone building cells in your body and increases your risk of developing osteoporosis.
2. Exercise. Experts strongly recommend that you perform weight bearing exercises throughout your life in order to keep up bone strength. Weight bearing exercise can range from walking to strength training with weights.
3. Watch your weight. A healthy body weight is ideal for bone health. Being overweight puts too much pressure on your bones, and being underweight denies your bones of the nutrients it needs.
4. Take your vitamins. Vitamin D is very important for every stage of life because it helps your body absorb calcium, which is very important for bone health. Even if you love dairy products, many people don’t reach an adequate amount of calcium. Experts recommend that you take a vitamin D supplement to reach the recommended 600 to 800 IU per day.
30’s
1. Avoid Sodium. Too much sodium prevents vital nutrients from being absorbed into your bones. Lanah J. Brenna, a registered dietician at Reactive Nutrition in Lafayette, Louisiana, advises women to limit their sodium intake to 1,300 mg a day to help reduce bone loss.
2. Limit drinking. Studies have shown that women who consume more than 2 drinks per day have an increased risk of osteoporotic fractures. When alcohol enters your body, all extra vitamins and nutrients flock to the organs that are trying to flush the alcohol out of your system.
3. Keep taking your vitamins. Women in their 30’s should get 1,000 mg of calcium a day. If you’re pregnant or nursing, you should increase your intake to 1,200 mg a day. Luckey says that most people naturally consume about 300 mg of calcium a day and recommends that you take a 600mg calcium supplement to get as close to the daily recommendation as possible.
4. Learn your family history. Find out if any of your immediate family members have or have had osteoporosis, fractures or any other related health issues. You can discuss your family history with your doctor for more options to help prevent bone loss.
40’s
1. Hit the gym. In addition to the recommended 30 minutes of daily physical activity, you need to add strength training to your workout routine. Women lose a high percentage of muscle and bone mass with each decade. Staying active throughout your life helps your bone health by increasing muscle mass, strength, balance and coordination.
2. Talk to your doctor. Your doctor needs to know about other health problems such as diabetes, depression, cancer and intestinal disorders, which all affect bone health. Certain medicines and medical treatments prevent the absorption of calcium.
3. FRAX. The World Health Organization has a tool called FRAX that helps predict your risk for getting a fracture over the next 10 years based on your weight, height and answer to simple lifestyle questions. Talk to your doctor about how you can take this simple questionnaire.
50’s
1. Increase your vitamins. Doctors recommend that adults age 50 and over get 1,200 mg of calcium each day. If you are postmenopausal and not taking hormones, the dosage increases to 1,500 mg a day. It’s also recommended that adults 50 and over get 1,000 to 2,000 IU vitamin D daily.
2. Estrogen replacement. Your body loses estrogen once you go through menopause. This loss of estrogen rapidly depletes bone density. Women with signs of osteoporosis often benefit from a low dose estrogen patch which has been proven to maintain bone density.
60’s
1. Get a bone density test. Doctors tell us that every woman over 65 should get routine bone density tests. If you are under age 65 but have risk factors such as family history or have suffered from a broken bone recently, you too should receive regular bone density tests.
2. Protect and prevent. Many falls are easily preventable. Protect yourself by wearing shoes with nonslip soles, keep floors clean from clutter, keep hallways and corners well lit, use a stepstool with handrails and be careful with medications that affect your balance or make you drowsy.
3. Consider prescription. There are different classes of medications to treat osteoporosis, Fosamax, Boniva, Actonel and Reclast. These medications are taken to prevent further bone loss. As with any prescription drug treatment, there are risks associated with most medications, and it is recommended that you talk with your doctor about your bone health before you commit to prescription medication.
SOURCE: http://health.yahoo.com/featured/79/bone-health-tips-for-every-decade/