By Tristi Muir
The last subject I dove into in this column was falling. I challenged all women to work on improving their physical balance to decrease their fall risk.I should have paid more attention to my topic.On a recent visit to Asheville, N.C., I watched the sun rise over the Blue Ridge Mountains as wisps of fog nestled on the hilltops. The beauty called me. I grabbed my husband (thank goodness!) and marched off into the crisp mountain air. Along one of the hillsides, my right foot landed on a mound of acorns in the dewy grass. As my foot rolled under me, I heard a pop.Something as simple as chasing beauty left me sidelined with a broken ankle.Bones are dynamic tissues in our bodies. Building and maintaining the health of our 206 bones should be a lifelong goal. By 20, women generally reach their peak bone mass. That means it is crucial for young women to build strong bones with physical activity and adequate calcium intake in their youth.To stimulate bone growth and health, exercise should include weight-bearing activities such as running, jumping, soccer, basketball and tennis. The impact of working against gravity stimulates bone growth and increases muscle strength. The stronger muscles push and pull on the bone, further stimulating bone growth. Children should get at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day to grow strong bones. Adults need 30 minutes per day.
Calcium is not produced in the body, therefore women need to eat foods rich in calcium — such as dairy products, dark green leafy vegetables, calcium-fortified foods and nuts. Calcium is essential for bone and cartilage health, along with heart, muscle and nerve function. If there is not enough calcium in our systems to carry on normal function, the body goes to its bank of calcium (the bones) and makes a withdrawal.Vitamin D helps the body absorb the calcium. Not many foods contain vitamin D, so it is commonly added to foods such as milk, orange juice, yogurt and cereals. You can also get vitamin D from sunlight.Estrogen helps the bone absorb calcium. When the ovaries stop producing estrogen, bone loss is accelerated. Women typically lose approximately 10 percent of their bone mass during the 10 years following menopause. Much of this bone loss can be avoided with strength training.
Smoking, alcohol and stress have a negative impact on bone health. Excessive alcohol consumption (two to three drinks a day) impairs absorption of calcium and vitamin D from the intestine. Alcohol and tobacco products and high levels of cortisol (present in times of chronic stress and alcoholism) can destroy the bone-building cells in our bodies and interfere with the hormones important for bone formation.
Young people who start smoking and drinking early in life or experience a lot of stress may fail to develop strong bones.
Our bones need to be as healthy as possible so that if we do fall we recover. Growing healthy bones starts when we are young, and maintenance is a lifetime responsibility. As I heal my ankle, I will make sure that my diet is healthy and will avoid stress, alcohol and tobacco. When the cast comes off, strength training will be a vital component of recovery and prevention of future fractures.