Stay active
Being inactive makes your muscles and bones lose strength. This increases your risk of osteoporosis, falls and fractures.
Moderate-intensity exercise
People over 65 should try to get 150 minutes (2 and a half hours) of moderate-intensity exercise every week. It's best to do some exercise every day, spread across the day. Doing something is always better than doing nothing. Exercise outdoors if you can and build up slowly.
Moderate activity will raise your heart rate and make you breathe faster and feel warmer.
One way to tell if you're exercising at a moderate level is if you can still talk but can't sing the words to a song.
Examples of moderate-intensity activities include:
- walking
- water aerobics
- ballroom and line dancing
- riding a bike on level ground or with few hills
- playing doubles tennis
- pushing a lawn mower
Activities for strength
You should also try to do activities to improve muscle strength at least twice a week.
This could include:
- lifting weights
- dancing
- carrying groceries
- going up and down stairs
- exercising to music
- heavy gardening, such as digging or shovelling
- yoga
Activities for balance and flexibility
It's also a good idea to do activities to improve balance and flexibility twice a week as this can reduce your risk of falling.
Activities such as yoga or tai chi are best for this. These types of activity can also ease stiffness and unsteadiness associated with painful joints.
You can do activities twice a week that combine moderate-intensity exercise with improving your strength, balance and flexibility or you can do different activities.
You should also try to avoid sitting around for long periods. If you find you have been sitting for a long time, get up and go for a stroll. See more about why we should sit less.
If you have a health condition such as heart disease or arthritis, you may be able to join a suitable group exercise class.
See physical activity guidelines for older adults.
Exercising with osteoporosis
If you have a high fracture risk or spinal fractures caused by osteoporosis, you need to look after your back.
It's especially important to bend your knees when lifting objects. Avoid movements that involve awkward bending and lifting movements.
You may need to be cautious about some types of high impact exercises. Your GP can advise you about this.
Eating for healthy bones
Some people find their appetite starts to drop as they get older. Eating less can make it more difficult to get the nutrients you need to keep muscles and bones healthy.
Staying active will help to keep your appetite up. But if you don't feel like eating much some days, it's still important to try to stick to a healthy, balanced diet.
For healthy muscles and bones, you need calcium, vitamin D and protein:
- calcium keeps our bones and teeth healthy
- vitamin D helps our bodies to absorb calcium
- protein is important for muscle maintenance
Find out about healthy ways to gain weight.
If your diet isn't as good as it should be, you may want to consider taking a dietary supplement.
Go for one that contains calcium and vitamin D. Your GP or pharmacist can help you choose one that's suitable for you.
Some medicines can affect your appetite. If you think a medicine you're taking may be affecting your appetite, perhaps because it makes you feel nauseous, talk with your pharmacist or GP. They may be able to suggest an alternative.
See more about food for healthy bones.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is important for both strong muscles and healthy bones. Our bodies make vitamin D from the action of the summer sunlight (from late March/April to the end of September) on our skin. All adults are advised to consider taking a daily vitamin D supplement, particularly during the winter months (October to March).
People who are not often exposed to the sun should take a daily vitamin D supplement throughout the year.
These include people who:
- are not often outdoors, such as those who are frail or housebound,
- are in an institution, such as a care home
- usually wear clothes that cover up most of their skin when outdoors
People with dark skin, such as those of African, African-Caribbean and south Asian origin, might not get enough vitamin D from sunlight, so they should consider taking a supplement throughout the year.
Find out more about vitamin D.
Some foods contain vitamin D. These include oily fish such as mackerel and salmon, eggs, foods fortified with vitamin D such as fat spreads, and some breakfast cereals.
But it's difficult to get enough vitamin D from food alone.
If you have osteoporosis, your GP may prescribe a calcium supplement, too.
Find out more about vitamin D.
Some foods contain vitamin D. These include oily fish such as mackerel and salmon, eggs, foods fortified with vitamin D such as fat spreads, and some breakfast cereals.
But it's difficult to get enough vitamin D from food alone.
If you have osteoporosis, your GP may prescribe a calcium supplement, too.
Other ways to protect your bones
Other things to consider to help prevent falls and fractures:
- quit smoking and try these tips to help you cut down on alcohol
- go for an eye test – poor eyesight can affect mobility and balance
- get your hearing checked – ear problems can affect your balance
- look after your feet – foot pain can affect your mobility
- review your medicines with your GP or pharmacist – some medicines can make you feel dizzy or drowsy
- make your home safer to avoid accidents
Read more about preventing falls.
If you've broken a bone, a fracture liaison service can help you prevent further broken bones and keep your bones healthy.
Ask your GP surgery if there's a fracture liaison service in your area.
More information
Above from NHS UK site here
Related Post
Food For Healthy Bones - see hereArticles / studies (and any comments) within this blog are provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional.
Always take account of your personal circumstances, needs, illnesses and medication you may be taking. Any allergies, or underlying health issues must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.
If you have any concerns about your general health, including medication, you should contact your Doctor/local health care provider.
All the best Jan
13 comments:
This is another important post for us oldies. I move everyday keeping muscles and bones strong. Thanks Jan, have a nice day today.
Great info, as always, Jan. Besides walking, my doc suggested the resistance bands. So those two and gardening are my go-tos. Hope you are having an excellent week. Take special care.
'Keep on moving' is a good motto for all of us to keep aging bones as healthy as possible. There are so many ways to do this and any activity is better than none.
There is an exerciser for the legs and feet. It's an elliptical exercise machine. It is supposed to increase the strength in your legs and feet. Thanks for sharing this informative and useful information.
Gracias por los consejos. Te mando un beso.
Thank you for all this good information. I do keep moving and walk every day, but should do more in the way of weight lifting... I take prednisone for Rheumatoid Arthritis so that adds extra risk to my bones.
Jan, a heartfelt ♥️ thanks for sharing this very important information. I really appreciate 🙏 the time and effort you make to help others like myself. 👍
I think moderate intensity could also include changing the sheets, especially a fitted sheet and vacuuming where furniture has to be shifted out of the way first and then replaced.
Thank you for the excellent information, Jan. I walk a few hours a day and lift weights 3-4 times weekly.
Lots of important information! Thank you.
I'm not quite 65 yet but I can feel age creeping up so I do try to get outdoors and walk every day if I can. I think that old saying, use it or lose it, is a good one to live by.
Very useful information, Jan. Thank you.
...no problems at this point!
Post a Comment