Running, hiking, biking, we do all of these things to stay healthy, but we don’t often recognize all of the body’s complex systems that are being utilized when we exercise. One of the most important systems we can often take for granted is our skeletal structure, our bones that provide the framework for our bodies. Our muscles connect to our bones by tendons in a precise way to allow us to move; without those connections, we wouldn’t be able to do all those activities we love. Bones also house and synthesize a variety of cells for our blood within our bone marrow as well as store minerals, predominantly calcium and phosphorus. They absorb minerals when the levels in the blood are too high and release minerals when they are too low, helping us regulate while staying active and healthy.

Bones play a variety of important roles, but why do we generally not prioritize them in our routines and take the time to care for them? We teach young children about the importance of strong bones and getting their calcium as they grow to support them, but we seldom emphasize their importance as we are entering into our adolescent, young adult, and adult years. Bone health often does not get addressed again until we are in the later stages of life, and at that time we may already be at high risk for osteoporosis, a disease that develops as our bones begin to degrade.

Here are a few simple steps we can take to alleviate the burden on our bodies as we get older by starting to take care of your bones now and preventing degradation as we age.

Calcium

Normal calcium levels in the blood are important for bone health, as well as crucial for the support of a healthy heart and muscles. You can maintain or improve your calcium levels by eating foods rich in calcium or taking calcium supplements. Dairy products are rich in calcium, but if you are allergic or do not prefer dairy, you can also drink almond milk or fortified milk substitutes. Spinach is another healthy alternative to help up your calcium intake. Calcium may need a boost to help your bones absorb it effectively, which is where Vitamin D can help. Sunshine and supplements are easy ways to increase your Vitamin D levels, but check with your doctor before starting any supplement regimen to get the right amount and quality of supplements.

Exercise

Weight bearing exercises are beneficial for bone health, so stay active and on your feet as much as you can. Bones are living tissues, so the force placed on them will allow them to adjust and change their bone density over time. Any form of exercise can help keep your bones in top shape, but to keep your bones at optimum health, try to make sure you’re doing some sort of resistance training or weight bearing exercises regularly among your normal routine.

Avoid low calorie diets

We want to make sure our body gets the fuel it needs to function for all our day to day activities, as well as have enough energy to spare for additional exercise and recovery beyond our baseline activities. One study showed that a low caloric intake paired with exercise can inhibit bone growth and make them more porous, which will put you at risk over time. To avoid this, make sure you are getting enough calories to cover your basal metabolic rate, or the calories your body needs to sustain your regular internal bodily functions every day. If your goal is to lose weight, make sure you are working with your doctor to establish your basal metabolic rate and agree upon a healthy caloric deficit that will allow for healthy weight loss without putting your bones or other bodily systems at risk.

Monitor stress levels

Time and time again, we see how negative stress takes a toll on the body, but did you know that cortisol can also unfavorably impact bone health? Cortisol is that pesky hormone that shows up when you get stressed out, but in this case, it interferes with osteoblast production. Osteoblasts are cells that form bone tissue, helping to heal broken and damaged bones, so supporting their production through stress management will help us protect our bones from damage as well as support them as we try new exercises and routines to help them get stronger.

 

Bones may not be something that you think about until they hurt, ache, or break, but they are something we should be thinking about and maintaining while they are healthy so that we can keep them strong throughout our lifetimes and support them into our older years. Let’s keep those bones in tip top shape and give ourselves the best chance at living a long and healthy life.

Monica Kinney is the program manager of the Adult Fitness Program in the Department of Health and Exercise Science at Colorado State University.  Adult Fitness offers exercise opportunities for employees of CSU as well as community members, while providing hands-on learning experiences for health promotion students. To learn more, see the Adult Fitness Program website.

Sources:

1. Cortisol and Bone Loss – Osteoporosis
2. Exercise and Bone Health – OrthoInfo – AAOS
3. 11 Tips to Keep Your Bones Healthy and Strong | U.S. News
4. 14.2: Introduction to the Skeletal System – Biology LibreTexts
5. McGrath, Cody & Sankaran, Jeyantt Srinivas & Misaghian-Xanthos, Negin & Sen, Buer & Xie, Zhihui & Styner, Martin & Rubin, Janet & Styner, Maya. (2019). Exercise Degrades Bone in Caloric Restriction, Despite Suppression of Marrow Adipose Tissue (MAT). Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. 10.1002/jbmr.3872.