Protect Your Bones as You Age
Aging can be a challenging process for many of us, whether it is watching ourselves age or our loved ones. There are a number of biological processes that happen through the years that all seem to add together to make aging more difficult and seem to compound.
One of the biggest issues that older adults have is the decrease of bone health with leads to a higher risk of osteopenia leading to osteoporosis.
This affects both men and women gradually, though women do tend to have higher bone loss during menopause. As if there weren’t enough changes and challenges during that time! This is why it is such a scary time when Grandma falls - not only are her bones less likely to tolerate the impact, but the healing of the bone after a surgery or replacement is much slower than in younger bodies.
But why does this happen?
There are a number of reasons why aging causes a loss in bone density and health.
Decreased absorption
As we age, our bodies become less efficient at absorbing nutrients in our guts. So even for those who are taking in the right amount of a vitamin or mineral for their age may not actually but getting all they need if their absorption is compromised. Unfortunately, this isn’t just happening in the guts. Even our skin becomes less elastic and less inclined to absorb nutrients. This is bad news for vitamin D from the sun. Since vitamin D and calcium work hand in hand, both are needed for strong bones. If the skin isn’t absorbing D and the belly isn’t absorbing calcium, they have a harder time helping each other, and can’t keep Nanny’s bones strong.
2. Inadequate nutrient intake
The body also often becomes much more efficient at using less energy in older age. This means a decrease in metabolism and often a decrease in hunger. When Pops isn’t really ever hungry, he may be at risk for not taking in enough of a balanced diet to get enough calcium, vitamin D, and magnesium. If the foods we choose to eat during this time often tend to be high energy and low nutrient (lots of calories with not a lot of vitamins and minerals) then it could further increase the risk for those bones not getting what they need to stay strong.
3. Loss in muscle tone and density
With the loss of energy often comes the loss of exercise. Daily walks may decrease in intensity or frequency. Pickle ball games are cancelled. Step aerobics is avoided in fear of falling and - you guessed it- breaking a bone. Even just retiring from a job that requires a bit of movement to a more sedentary home life makes a difference! Surprisingly, the amount of muscle density someone has does affect their bone density too! Pepaw’s old saying of ‘Use it or lose it’ really applies!
What to do?
This age population needs a continuous and ample supply of appropriate nutrients coming from diet and/or supplementation. Spreading out these nutrients through the day helps with absorption, making sure not to overload the GI system all at once.
Fruits and veggies help balance gut pH to also improve absorption!
Next, keep up with the exercise. Resistance and strength training promote bone growth in response to pressure on the tissue, causing nutrients to move into the bone matrix, stimulating growth hormones, and reviving bone development.
Don’t ‘sleep’ on light weight, high repetition movements! Uphill walking, using resistance bands, and even 5-10 lb weights to do simple exercises can make a huge improvement in bone density.
Find some resistance equipment here!
