Keeping Your Bones Healthy

Preventing Osteoporosis
 Osteoporosis

• Osteoporosis is a condition in which the

bones become weak and can break from
a minor fall or, in serious cases, from a
simple action such as a sneeze.
Normal bone has the appearance of a honeycomb matrix (left).
Under a microscope, osteoporotic bone (right) looks more
porous.
 Osteoporosis
Fast Facts

• In the U.S. today, 10 million individuals are

estimated to already have the disease
• Osteoporosis is often thought of as an older
person's disease, it can strike at any age
• Of the 10 million Americans estimated to have
osteoporosis, eight million are women and
two million are men.
 Risk Factors
• Being female
• Older age
• Family history of osteoporosis or broken
bones
• Being small and thin
• Certain race/ethnicities such as Caucasian,
Asian, or Hispanic/Latino
 Risk Factors
• History of broken bones
• Low sex hormones
• Low estrogen levels in women, including
menopause
• Missing periods (amenorrhea)
• Diet
– Low calcium intake
– Low vitamin D intake
– Excessive intake of protein, sodium and caffeine
 Risk Factors
• Inactive lifestyle
• Smoking
• Alcohol abuse
• Certain medications
• Certain diseases and conditions
– anorexia nervosa
– rheumatoid arthritis
– gastrointestinal diseases
Prevention
 Calcium

• The recommended daily intake of calcium for

adults is 1000 mg per day.
• Eat more foods rich in calcium
 Calcium Rich Foods
Food with Calcium Serving size Calcium per serving (mg)*

Dairy products    
Milk† 1 cup 290-300
Swiss cheese 1 oz (slice) 250-270
Yogurt 1 cup 240-400
American cheese 1 oz (slice) 165-200
Ice cream or frozen dessert 1/2 cup 90-100
Cottage cheese 1/2 cup 80-100
Parmesan cheese 1 Tbs 70
Powdered nonfat milk 1 tsp 50
Other    
Sardines in oil (with bones) 3 oz 370
Canned salmon (with bones) 3 oz 170-210
Broccoli 1 cup 160-180
Soybean curd (tofu) 4 oz 145-155
Turnip greens 1/2 cup, cooked 100-125

Kale 1/2 cup, cooked 90-100

Corn bread 2 1/2-in. square 80-90

Egg 1 medium 55
 Vitamin D
• Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin that is
necessary to the health of a human being. It is
also sometimes termed the "sunshine"
vitamin, as one of the best sources of the
vitamin is from sunlight that is absorbed
through the skin
• 15 – 30 minutes a
day is all you need
for your body to
produce enough
Vitamin D!
 Exercise
• Exercise can help you build strong bones and
slow bone loss
• You'll gain the most benefits if you start
exercising regularly when you're young and
continue to exercise throughout your life
• Combine strength training exercises with
weight-bearing exercises
• Strength training
helps strengthen
muscles and bones
in your arms and
upper spine
• Weight-bearing
exercises — such
as walking, jogging,
running, stair
climbing, skipping
rope, skiing and
impact-producing
sports — mainly
affect the bones in
your legs, hips and
lower spine
• Swimming, cycling
and exercising on
machines can
provide a good
cardiovascular
workout, but are
low impact, they're
not as helpful for
improving bone
health as weight-
bearing exercises
are.
 Other Tips For Prevention

• Stop smoking

• Avoid drinking

excessive alcohol
 Prevention

EASY EXERCISES YOU CAN

DO AT HOME
 Standing tall

• Stand with your head,

shoulders and buttocks
against a wall, with your
heels two to three inches
from the wall.
• Pull in your chin and
tighten your abdomen
and buttocks.
• Press your back against
the wall, leaving a small
space behind the curve of
your lower back.
 Walking strengthens your legs and heart and improves your
balance

• Hold your head high.

• Keep your back and
neck as straight as
possible.
• Gently tighten your
abdominal muscles.
• Let your shoulders
and arms move freely
and naturally.
 • While seated, look
straight ahead.
Chin tuck
To stretch your neck, as
• Pull your chin in toward
well as practice correct your neck, don't let
positions of your head your head bend
and shoulders: forward.
• Push your hands down
on your thighs to help
straighten your back
• Hold this position for a
few seconds. Repeat
this exercise five times.
 Pelvic tilt
To strengthen your lower back and abdominal muscles:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet
flat on the floor (1). Maintain a normal curve in your
back; don't arch your back.
• Tighten your abdominal muscles.
• Tilt your pelvis up slightly without lifting your hips to
flatten your back against the floor (2). Avoid using
your leg and buttock muscles.
• Hold the position for five seconds while breathing
normally, and then relax. Repeat this exercise 10
times.
 Sitting knee extension

To strengthen your thigh muscles

• Sit in a chair with your feet flat

against the floor, your back straight
and your hands on your thighs.
Tighten your abdominal muscles
and look straight ahead.
• Slowly straighten one knee while
lifting your heel a few inches from
the floor. Don't slouch or round
your back.
• Stand with your feet Calf stretch
parallel, hip-width apart.
To stretch your calf muscle, heel cord and the back
Place your hands on the of your thigh
back of a chair for
balance.
• Flatten your abdomen,
straighten your back and
shoulders and bend your
knees slightly.
• Slide one foot backward,
keeping it flat on the
floor, until your back leg is
straight.
• Lean your weight forward
onto your bent front
knee.
 Upper back lift
To strengthen your back muscles

• Lie facedown on the floor with a pillow under

your abdomen and hips (1).
• Keep your arms resting at your sides as you
tighten your abdominal muscles.
• Inhale and raise your head and chest a few
inches from the floor (2). Keep your head in
line with your neck and torso.
 Shoulder strengthening
To strengthen the muscle along the back of your shoulder, the muscle on the back of your
upper arm (triceps) and your upper back muscles

• Stand with your left leg in front of the right and your
left hand on the back of a chair. Bend your front
(left) knee while holding a 1- to 2-pound weight in
your right hand (1).
• Move your right hand backward, straightening your
arm behind you, and hold for a few seconds (2).
• Return to your starting position and repeat five to 10
times.
• Repeat this on the other side five to 10 times
 Thank You!
• Now please take some time to fill out a short
evaluation of your experience tonight.
 References
• http://
www.mayoclinic.com/health/osteoporosis/DS
00128
• http://www.nof.org/