Building Strong Bones for a Strong Future: Why Understanding Your Bone Health Matters
August 16, 2024
Intro to Bone Health
In July, we focused on Bone Health, empowering our clients with knowledge to maintain strong bones and prevent future issues. This foundation is vital as we transition into August’s theme of “Movement,” where we continue to explore how staying active through exercises like Pilates can not only enhance overall fitness but also directly support bone density and reduce the risk of injury. These topics are especially important to many of our clients who face similar goals from building strength and flexibility to staying consistent in their wellness journey!
During our recent Bone Health Workshop we heard from 2 amazing resource speakers:
Ruth Logan: Beloved member of Rejuvenate and expert dietitian with over 40 years of experience.
Cassie O’Grady: Our very own Rejuvenate Instructor, and Sport & Exercise Scientist
We received an abundance of information during our Bone Health Workshop discussing not only understanding our bone health, but the key nutritional and movement aspects for those with bone conditions or wanting to prevent them.
HERE ARE OUR TOP TAKEAWAYS FROM RUTH:
Why is bone health so important? And what does it mean?
Bone is an active living tissue that is flexible yet strong for movement and protects your vital organs. Bones grow in childhood, have a growth spurt in adolescence and are constantly rebuilt during adulthood in a process called ‘remodelling’. With some cells breaking down the bone (osteoclasts) while other cells (osteoblasts) rebuild new bone. This is why bones can heal after a break. (Healthy Bones Australia, 2024) Bone health is an important part of general health. The bones act as the body’s calcium reservoir. If the body doesn’t get enough calcium from diet, the body will take it from the bones.
Understanding Osteopenia & Osteoporosis
Osteopenia is a decline in bone density and is a precursor to osteoporosis, which is a significant decrease in bone density. Often referred to as the “silent thief,” osteoporosis usually goes unnoticed until a bone is broken. This is why bone health is absolutely important, and needs to be considered throughout your entire life.
Common Risk factors include:
– Malabsorption
– High Caffeine Intake
– Smoking
– Inadequate exercise
– Low vitamin D.
Take this quick quiz to discover if you’re at risk.
– From the Australian Healthy Food Guide (August 2022 Issue)
Consider the following to find out if you’re at an increased risk of osteoporosis. If you answer yes to more than three of these questions then it’s time to see your doctor.
- Do you have a small frame and low body weight?
- Have you broken a bone as an adult?
- Is your diet low in foods containing dairy and other calcium-rich foods?
- Are you postmenopausal?
- Have you had early menopause (before the age of 45)?
- Do you get less than 20 minutes of sunlight every day?
- Are you physically inactive?
- Do you smoke?
- Do you drink excessive amounts of alcohol?
Testing your Bone Density
To test your bone density you’ll require a GP referral for a DXA test.
It is recommended to get a DXA test closer to perimenopause to establish a baseline before menopause, as oestrogen levels deteriorate significantly in the first five years of menopause. If there is a family history of bone health issues, discussing the need for a DXA test with your doctor before menopause and then having another one after menopause is important. The frequency of DXA tests moving forward depends on your bone health during this time. If diagnosed with osteopenia or osteoporosis, regular testing and a treatment plan should be managed by your GP.
Supporting Health Bone Growth with Nutrition:
Importance of Calcium & Vitamin D
Calcium is crucial for bone health, with dairy intake being the best source, although there are many fortified alternatives available. Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption, so it’s important to regularly check your Vitamin D levels with a blood test from your GP to keep on top of them.
Nutrition & Supplements
It’s advisable to get your Vitamin D level checked by your GP prior to taking a supplement. As it is a fat soluble vitamin, excess intake can become a problem. Check the calcium content of your preferred milk. Aim for a calcium level of 120mg per 100ml with 3gms of protein. If you can’t achieve your daily needs of 1300mg from dietary sources consider taking a calcium supplement (600mg/day should be adequate for most people).
Monitoring & Prevention
Regular bone density testing is crucial, especially post-menopause. Osteopenia is a precursor to osteoporosis, and both conditions need management.
Exercise for Bone Health
Weight-bearing, resistance, and balance exercises are essential, with high intensity (80% max) showing the greatest bone density response.
Here are our top takeaways from Cassie our movement specialist:
Bone mass develops until young adulthood, and inactivity during the first 30 years can lead to lower peak bone density. However, low bone density doesn’t necessarily mean fractures are inevitable. Those aged 50 and older, particularly women, are at the highest risk for fractures and osteoporosis. Regular exercise can help reduce this risk, acting as a powerful non-pharmaceutical intervention.
Why Exercise & Movement Helps
Exercise equals stress, stress to your bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, heart, lungs, brain, etc. In this case stress is good (to a degree), because stress equals change, or positive adaptation. Exercise is also great for building muscle strength. Muscles are a potent osteogenic stimulant, plus strong muscles help to reduce falls. And don’t forget the benefits to coordination, mood, energy, and balance.
What Types of Exercise
Incorporating the right types of exercises into your routine can significantly improve bone density, stability, and strength. By focusing on weight-bearing, resistance, and balance exercises, and understanding the principles that drive bone growth, you’re setting yourself up for a healthier, stronger future.
Additionally, studies suggest that shorter rest periods, around 30 seconds, can be effective. However, collagen and tendons respond better with a 24-hour rest period, particularly in pre- and post-menopausal women.
With regards to intensity, exercises performed at 60-80% of your maximum effort (8-12 reps) with a load that’s 2-4 times your body weight have shown good results in increasing bone density. Exercising at 80% of your maximum effort (5 reps) with a load that’s 4 times your body weight provides the greatest positive response in bone density.
Other Considerations
Recent studies have shown positive benefits from rest periods, rest periods of 30 seconds has shown increased bone adaptations to continuous exercise. Additionally for ageing ligaments and tendons, rest periods of 24 hours between exercise is beneficial. Measurable changes in bone density typically take 6 months. Hip bones respond more slowly to loading. Avoid loaded spinal flexion, as in standing roll downs, lateral spinal flexion, as in mermaid and take care with impact exercises if there’s a fracture history.
Where to from here:
It’s clear that prioritising bone health through proper nutrition, regular DXA testing, and targeted exercise routines is essential for long-term well-being. It’s essential that we don’t fear osteoporosis, but rather understand it and the risk factors that lead to it.
When exercising to improve bone density, exercises need to be site-specific. If you experience low bone density in the hips, exercises which load the shoulders won’t aid your hips.
Focus on impact, strength, and balance exercises. Other Non-osteogenic exercises, such as those focusing on coordination, core strength, neuromuscular patterning are still beneficial, and for everyone, not just those with Osteoporosis.
