Strengthening Your Bones

If possible, a young woman should work to increase her bone density and strength during adolescence and early adulthood. But it's never too late to take steps that can help stem bone loss during menopause. Here are several things you can do to reduce your risk of osteoporosis: do weight-bearing exercise, take enough calcium and vitamin D, and quit smoking.

Start doing weight-bearing exercise
Weight-bearing exercise -- defined as exercise in which you exert force against the weight of gravity -- is an important way to strengthen your bones. It also improves overall agility and balance. Examples of weight-bearing exercise include:

• Weight lifting
• Brisk walking
• Jogging
• Hiking
• Exercising on stair-climbing machines
• Exercising on a cross-country ski machine

While swimming and bicycling are excellent aerobic activities, they do not put much stress on bones.

To gain maximum benefit, you should try to perform weight-bearing exercise for one hour at least three times a week. However, if you're new to weight-bearing exercise, start out slowly and gradually work your way up to an hour's worth of exercise.

Note: Before starting any exercise routine, please consult with your health care provider. Also, before beginning any weight-lifting routine, make sure you learn how to use weights or weight machines from properly trained gym personnel.

Make sure you're getting enough calcium

Calcium is vital for building and strengthening bone, yet many menopausal woman get only a third to a half of the calcium they need on any given day. Ideally, women should try to get enough calcium through food first.

If you can't boost your calcium intake to recommended levels with food alone, then try supplements.

Perimenopausal and post-menopausal women who are taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) need 1,000 mg of calcium each day. Those who are not taking HRT need 1,500 mg. You can reach 1,200 to 1,500 mg by drinking four to five glasses of skim milk daily. Or, you can take calcium supplements. A less expensive way to increase your calcium intake is by taking calcium carbonate antacids, such as Tums". Calcium is best absorbed by your body when you take it with food, especially milk.

Keep in mind that your body can only absorb 500 mg of calcium at a time, so you should spread your calcium intake throughout the day.

Make sure you're getting enough Vitamin D
Women approaching or completing menopause need 400 to 800 IU (international units) of Vitamin D to help their bones retain strength. As women age, their ability to absorb Vitamin D decreases, so their intake of Vitamin D must rise.

Quit smoking
If you smoke, stop! Quitting smoking can prevent osteoporosis by preserving bone. If you smoke, talk to your health care provider about the things you can do to help kick the habit.

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