| June 2013 66 www.womanthismonth.com who do weight-bearing activities at least three times a week are far more likely to keep osteoporosis at bay than ladies who lead a sedentary lifestyle. Muscle pulling on the bone builds bone, so weight-bearing exercise – that is, exercise that involves your body supporting its own weight - builds denser, stronger bones. The more bone mass you build before the age of 25 or 30, the better off you will be during the years of gradual bone loss. Exercise can also help you maintain bone density later in life. “A 30 minute workout six times a week is optimal. Those who have associated problems such as knee pain or arthritis can design their own regimen by opting for safe workouts such as swimming or Yoga to strengthen their bones,” says Dr Sukumaran. The best exercises for building bones include lifting light weights, jogging, hiking, stairclimbing, step aerobics, dancing, racquet sports, and other activities that require your muscles to work against gravity. Thirty minutes of weight-bearing exercise daily benefits not only your bones, but improves heart health, muscle strength, coordination, and balance. Those 30 minutes don’t need to be done all at once; it’s just as beneficial for you to do ten minutes at a time. Super foods A common belief in the medical fraternity is that most degenerative diseases are caused, to an extent, by a modern diet which is a combination of too much sugar, fat, refined flour, salt, caffeine, alcohol and processed foods. Considering that bones are living tissue, what you eat affects the health and strength of your bones. Ultimately, it all boils down to a healthy lifestyle, which begins with eating healthy, notes Dr Sukumaran. Take good helpings of milk, tofu, cheese and dairy products, which are rich in calcium, as is shell fish, clams, sardines, soy beans, soy milk and dark leafy greens. Vitamin K is as important for your bones as calcium, and for this reason you must top up on green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, green beans and Brussels sprouts. Fatty varieties of fish such as salmon, mackerel, tuna and sardines are packed with Vitamin D. For a healthy dose of essential minerals such as magnesium and potassium, try to include more of tomatoes, okra, bananas, oranges, papaya, prunes and raisins in your diet. Say 'yes 'to the sun, in small doses Sunlight is good for you. Twenty minutes of exposure to the early morning or evening sun every day can help your body synthesise the much needed vitamin D, also known as the sunshine vitamin. Vitamin D is primarily responsible for the absorption of calcium and phosphate by the intestines and is highly beneficial for the health of bones, says Dr Sukumaran. Alarmingly for a country like Bahrain which is blessed with over 3,000 hours of sunshine a year, the majority of the population is deficient in Vitamin D. A study performed between February 2011 and February 2012 by doctors at BDF Hospital found that out of 500 healthy Bahrainis tested, only 68 had optimal levels of Vitamin D in their bodies. This vitamin deficiency is found to be significantly higher in women than in men, which may well explain the early loss of bone density in females. Fall-proof your home Small slips and falls are the main source of fractures in the elderly and they should be watchful in this regard, observes Dr Sukumaran. Try to keep the clutter off floors, have the rooms in the house brightly lit and ensure that the stairs have handrails. “Make sure there are no slippery surfaces in the house and that the washroom is skid-proof. Bath mats on the floor and sturdy footwear is essential. A supportive frame around the toilet bowl and a walking stick or crutches will help maintain the balance,” he says. Seek Help Our support group: Bahrain Osteoporosis Society The Bahrain Osteoporosis Society is a major support group offering guidance and campaigning for awareness about the condition in Bahrain. The group conducts bone density tests and screenings annually and also undertakes research projects. Visit the society’s Facebook page for more details. Wellbeing
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