Do you know how many bones your body has? It has exactly 206 bones in total, which is a lot! In general, they serve as the framework of our body and allow us to move. Bones also protect your internal organs and store certain minerals that are essential for your body to function properly. It is therefore important to take care of them! In this article, you will discover how to prevent them from becoming brittle and improve their strength in a simple and effective way!
1. Exercise, your new best friend
It can't be said often enough, but regular, daily physical activity is highly recommended. There are certain exercises that will help you build strong bones. All sports practices that are practiced while standing and where your body is supported by your lower limbs help to strengthen your bones since this encourages them to exert themselves, on the one hand their weight and on the other hand by gravity.
Muscle strengthening exercises are also important since this strengthens the tendons that connect your muscles to your bones. To do this, you don't need weights, just your body weight is enough. So you'll have understood, squats, front lunges or bends are good exercises.
If you find this a bit too easy, you can increase the difficulty with resistance bands that can be found very easily online or in physical outlets. So, challenge accepted ?
2. Enrich your diet with calcium
From a very young age, we are taught that calcium is important for our bones and that wasn't a lie! Indeed, apart from its important usefulness for the body, calcium is an important player in the composition of the bone since it is itself an integral part in its bone structure.
It is also good to know that calcium plays a major role in the renewal of the bone since the latter is a living tissue. Therefore, diet inevitably plays a key role. Focus on calcium-rich products such as dairy products (Gruyere, Emmental, yoghurt etc.), sardines in olive oil, thyme or roasted almonds.
3. Consume vitamin D
D is for Daily, if that isn't a sign of how important it is on a daily basis! Also known as the sunshine vitamin, among its many properties, it improves the absorption of calcium and phosphorus into your bone system. If you live in the northern hemisphere, it is likely that from October to March you are not exposed to enough UVB rays. Don't panic! Luckily for you, this vitamin is usually found in fish (salmon, tuna, sardines in oil, etc.), calf's liver or even egg yolk.
If you don't have too much time to cook or are simply allergic to certain products, there are dietary supplements to take that will allow you to get your daily dose of vitamin D.
4. Don't abuse caffeine, alcohol, tobacco or medication
Caffeine isn't just in your morning coffee. Many other drinks contain it! They may be cola-based or theine-based, for example. These increase calcium loss when you go to the bathroom. According to some studies, it is advisable to consume a calcium-rich food source after drinking more than 4 coffees a day. (Putting milk in your coffee is not enough, nice try!)
Alcohol and tobacco are also not recommended if not consumed in moderation. Indeed, it contributes to the reduction of what is called bone densitometry. In other words, alcohol makes it more difficult to absorb the mineral content of the bones, which makes them more fragile. (= osteoporosis) Like alcohol, some medicines also reduce the absorption of calcium but can also promote their secretion, which makes it the responsibility of each person to ask their health expert (doctors, pharmacists, etc.) for information. (Doctors, pharmacists etc.)
To conclude
It doesn't matter how old you are, it is important to preserve your bones. To do this, it is ideal to have a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D to avoid any deficiencies. Alcohol and smoking should also be avoided on a daily basis. It is also important to do sports on a daily basis to exercise your muscles.
Yves Bondroit coach for QNT