Osteoporosis and low bone mass can be largely prevented but 54 million Americans are affected by them.
May is National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month.
Osteoporosis is a disease that weakens bones, making them more susceptible to sudden and unexpected fractures.
Cleveland Clinic’s Dr. Ardeshir Hashmi says some people may not even know they have it.
“Unfortunately, most people find out the hard way. They sort of – they have a fall. They don’t think they’ve ever broken anything before and they say, ‘Well the fall wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, I didn’t think I would get these fractures,’ and yet there they are with a fracture. By definition, that fragility fracture is that you have osteoporosis,” Hashmi said.
Hashmi said the key to preventing osteoporosis is to start healthy habits early on -- which includes eating foods that have calcium to help support bone health, taking the right supplements like Vitamin D and, of course, exercising.
Hashmi said the latest research shows it can be beneficial to combine strength and aerobic training.
However, be careful not to overdo it so you don’t get hurt.
And you don’t necessarily have to go to the gym.
There are other physical activities a person can do instead, like walking, climbing stairs or riding a bike.
You could even dance or do some gardening -- it depends on what you enjoy.
“For some people, it’s actually even water-type of exercising, so aquatic therapy or swimming. But that gives you more aerobic sort of exercise. The resistance does come, though, and it actually comes from the counter-pressure of the water. So, if I was in the pool just walking around, that would give me some strength training and some aerobic exercise as well,” Hashmi said.
Hashmi said for those who may be concerned that they’re at risk for osteoporosis or think they have it, it’s important to talk to your physician. They can conduct different tests, like a bone density scan.