| How do you picture spending your later years, once | | | | considerable burden on family members as well as |
| you have retired? I'm sure most people would say, | | | | the public health care system. |
| enjoying more time with family, traveling, enjoying | | | | The good news is that we are all capable of |
| walks in the park and other activities with their | | | | increasing the strength and density of our bones. The |
| spouse. Sadly though, for a large number of people, | | | | best way to do so is through exercise. However, not |
| their later years are marred by debilitating health | | | | just any exercise will do, the right type of exercise is |
| problems that prevent them from enjoying their | | | | essential. |
| retirement years and all they have worked so hard | | | | "Weight-bearing" or "load-bearing" exercise causes the |
| for. The primary reason that older adults end up not | | | | muscles and tendons to pull on the bones. The result |
| being able to enjoy their retirement years is because | | | | is that the bone cells produce more bone. In the |
| of the frailty and fractures that result from | | | | same way that a muscle gets bigger and stronger |
| age-related declines in muscle and bone mass. | | | | the more that you use it, a bone will become |
| Osteoporosis is a bone disease that affects both | | | | stronger and denser when demands are regularly |
| men and women, but especially post-menopausal | | | | placed on it. |
| women. The word osteoporosis means "porous | | | | "Weight lifting, including curls and bench presses, is a |
| bones" - where porous means full of holes. That | | | | beneficial activity... Dancing, stair-climbing and brisk |
| accurately describes what happens to the bones in | | | | walking are all weight-bearing exercises, which |
| older people who suffer from osteoporosis. | | | | promote (good) mechanical stress in the skeletal |
| The reason that post-menopausal women are | | | | system, contributing to the placement of calcium in |
| especially prone to osteoporosis is because the | | | | bones. Aerobic exercises such as biking, rowing and |
| hormone estrogen helps to protect bone. Since the | | | | swimming do not strengthen the bones," writes Gary |
| ovaries of menopausal and post-menopausal women | | | | Null in Power Aging. |
| produce less estrogen, a loss of bone density results. | | | | Interestingly, simply increasing your consumption of |
| However, this does not mean that men should not | | | | calcium in your diet or with supplements is not a |
| be concerned about loss of bone density and | | | | guarantee that the calcium will get into your bones. In |
| osteoporosis as they age, as the disease also affects | | | | order to absorb calcium the body needs other |
| many men. | | | | nutrients, such as magnesium, and other vitamins. |
| Here in China, osteoporosis has reached epidemic | | | | Exercise, particularly weight training, helps the bone |
| proportions. Edith Lau, the founding and past | | | | retain its calcium. Nutritional biochemist Dr. Neil S. |
| president of the Hong Kong Osteoporosis Foundation, | | | | Orenstein of Lenox, Massachusetts says, "Without |
| said: "Asians are at high risk of osteoporosis. We | | | | consideration of these effects, no amount of calcium |
| have a lower bone density, we don't get a | | | | supplementation will prevent osteoporosis." |
| calcium-rich diet as children and we increasingly lead a | | | | (Longevity by Kathy Keeton, page 120) |
| sedentary lifestyle." China has recorded a threefold | | | | In my next article I'll discuss this subject a little |
| increase in the cases of osteoporosis in the past | | | | further as it pertains to the benefits of regular |
| thirty years. With the population aging, this will put a | | | | exercise in preventing osteoporosis. |