Here’s a fun way to build stronger bones: Cardio Tennis! On Saturdays and Tuesdays the Meadow Creek Tennis and Fitness Club in Lakewood offers group drills to give all levels of players a high energy workout while monitoring your heart rate to keep it in your target zone.
What do tennis moves have to do with bone strength, you ask? Your entire skeletal system is in constant flux, reabsorbing and reforming itself to repair the damage from the daily stress it endures. When you give parts of it a little nudge, they work even harder to become stronger. Weight-bearing exercise provides that bit of stress on your hips and legs, just like resistance machines can help with your upper body.
Exercise is one way, but eating right is another important way to build stronger bones. What does “right” mean? You need a combination of nutrients and minerals found in a variety of foods. Leafy greens like spinach and collards are great for calcium, whole grains for magnesium, and low-fat dairy (cheese and milk) for both calcium and vitamin D. It is also important to eat a certain amount of protein to provide collagen for flexibility. A stock made of meaty bones and vegetables (with a little vinegar to extract the calcium) is an excellent way to get a mix of nutrients.
One other thing that could help? Go outdoors without sunscreen for a few minutes each sunny day. Don’t get us wrong—we’re in favor of sunscreen for longer periods in the sun, but your body can manufacture vitamin D with just short exposures, so take a 5-minute walk in the morning and go out and get your mail in the late afternoon.
Without nutrients and exercise, your bones could thin and grow weaker, a condition called osteoporosis. This increases your risk for fractures, so you want to prevent loss of density. We can order a bone density test that will indicate any problems, and also prescribe the right supplements or other medications to prevent further bone loss if yours prove to be thinning.
For more tips on keeping your foot and leg bones healthy and happy, call Rocky Mountain Foot & Ankle Center in Lakewood and Wheat Ridge, CO, by dialing (303) 423-2520, or contact us through our website, where you will find more useful information about everything feet.
