2023 Resolutions for Your Bone Health

2023 is right around the corner. For you, that means it’s time to begin setting new goals for the coming year! Maybe you’ll set your sights on getting that job or promotion you’ve been working toward. Or, perhaps, you’ll tread off the beaten path and start your own business. On the other hand, your goals might be more health-oriented. You might have a certain size or weight in mind. While OrthoSouth applauds all those, here are a few 2023 resolutions for your bone health. 

Good Nutrition For Bones 

Your nutrition affects every part of your body. Hair, skin, organs, muscles – and bones – respond to what you eat. Therefore, nutrition is one of the most important elements you can control. We don’t always get to vote on what happens to us. But, we can choose what we eat, thereby favoring our quality of life. 

To strengthen your bones, incorporate calcium into your diet. Calcium abounds in dairy products like milk, yogurt, cheese, and butter. Also, look for it in vegetables like collard greens, edamame, turnip greens, kale, and bok choy. Another linchpin for bone health is vitamin D, which is most easily found in fish and fish oil. Beef liver, eggs, and cheese can also supply you with vitamin D. Should you have trouble getting enough, vitamin D supplements are readily available at grocery stores. 

Additionally, make a point to eat foods that contain potassium. A study by S H Kong et al. found that potassium helped increase bone density in men over 50 and postmenopausal women. Fortunately, potassium is relatively easy to add to your diet. You can find it in most fruits and vegetables. Legumes, leafy greens, and lentils are also good sources of potassium. 

Strengthening Your Bones

Among the touted benefits of exercise are weight loss and muscle gain. But did you know that, like your muscles, your bones will respond to exercise? Remember, your bones aren’t static like wood or stone. Bone is living tissue. As such, it can be conditioned to adapt to stressors like exercise. Exercise will make your bones stronger.

Your skeleton was designed to bear a load. To that end, the best movements for strengthening the skeletal system require load-bearing. You might hear “resistance training” or “strength training.” Lifting weights is the best way to strengthen your bones under a load. A study by A Ram Hong and Sang Wan Kim indicated that resistance training, “…exerts a mechanical load on bones consequently leading to increase in bone strength.” 

The exercises that build strength the fastest are barbell lifts. Movements like the squat, deadlift, bench press, and press are cornerstones of strength training. Almost anyone can perform these movements, and experts often suggest incorporating them into a bone health regimen. With 2023 so close, there’s no time to add these tools to your toolbox like the present. 

Keep Regular Appointments at OrthoSouth

Now that you have some helpful information to make your 2023 bone health resolutions let us add one more. Schedule and maintain regular appointments with your specialist at OrthoSouth. Nothing beats having an expert in your corner. Go here to schedule an appointment.