Bone Health

Exercise is the most important thing you can do to promote bone health and prevent injuries. The following types of exercise are especially important for maintaining bone health and preventing falls and broken bones:

• Strength Exercises
• Balance Exercises
• Posture Exercises - These help you keep proper posture and stops the hunching of the back/neck

For those who are new to exercise or have recently broken a bone, look at these helpful resources:

• www.bonefit.ca
• Too Fit to Fracture

Healthy eating is important for maintaining strong bones and preventing falls. It is especially important for bone health to:

Eat calcium-rich food
Calcium is found in:

• Milk and milk products
• Salmon and sardines with bones
• Beans
• Sunflower and sesame seeds
• Broccoli and other greens
• Figs
• Rhubarb

Increase Your Vitamin D Intake
Vitamin D can be absorbed through the skin. However, skin becomes less efficient at vitamin D absorption with age. During the winter months, it becomes harder to get enough vitamin D from the sun. The recommended amount of vitamin D is 600 IU per day for adults 70 and under, and 800 IU per day over 70 years old.

Tips for meeting Vitamin D recommendations:

• Take a Vitamin D supplement (especially during winter months)
• Find sources of vitamin D in your diet either naturally (such as salmon, tuna and other fatty fish), or fortified (such as milk, orange juice, and other products)

Eat protein every day
Protein is found in:

• Meat
• Beans
• Nuts
• Egg whites

Smoking and excessive drinking (2 or more glasses of alcohol per day) increases the speed of bone loss.

Ask a doctor about getting a bone mineral density test to screen for low bone mass.

Ask a doctor about medications for managing bone health if you are experiencing pain.