OSTEOPEROSIS TESTING
Our bones are alive
Bones are alive and constantly changing. The old worn out bone is broken down by cells and replaced by new bone. This is called bone turnover. Looking after out bones now will give us enough "bone in the bank" for later on in life. As we get older, bones don;t renew themselves as quickly so they can become fragile. If bones becomes too fragile they can break more easily causing pain, restricted movement, curving of the spine and height loss.
This is called osteoporosis.
between the ages of 16-18 Bones stop growing in length
but...
bones continue to grow in strength into out mid-20s
so...
the ideal time to build up our bone-bank is while we are growing.
Bone building
Bones need regular weight-bearing activity.
Good bone-building activities include:
- stair climbing, weight-training, brisk walking and jogging
- dancing, tennis, aerobics and judo classes
- football, basketball, cricket and hockey
Try to be active everyday. turn off the TV and PC, get out , make new friends and have some fun! You don't have to be "sporty". Walking quickly to school or college counts, and dancing is also good for our bones.
Activity can also help you :
- look good
- feel confident
- help with exam stress
Bones need calcium and the body needs energy.
Don't think of foods as good or bad.
Aim to eat a wide variety of foods. Foods for energy include:
- bread
- potatoes
- pasta
- cereals
- fruit
- vegetables
- milk and dairy products
- meat
- fish
- eggs
- beans
- nuts
Breakfast: gives you an energy boost for the day so try not to skip it!
Calcium: the easiest way to get calcium is from :
milk and dairy products including cheese and yogurts (even low fat dairy products contain as much calcium, if not more, as a full fat varieties)
If you don't eat dairy products, there are many other foods which are rich in calcium, such as:
fortified soya milk or soya products, baked beans, bread, green salad leaves, tofu and even chocolate!
If you lack dairy products in your diet, you may also want to think about drinking calcium-fortified products such as water and orange juice. calcium supplements are another alternative but check with a pharmacist or GP.
