Did you know that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men will suffer form an osteoporotic fracture at some point in their lives?
30,000 clinical fractures happen every year in New Zealand including approximately 3,640 hip fractures. A hip fracture results in three weeks in hospital and costs $47,000 on average, $135,000 with complications…
In 2014, it was estimated that hip fractures cost the New Zealand Health system $171 million!
Although our bones stop growing in length by age 18, they continue to increase in density until our late 20’s. But, from the age of 35 bone density is lost. Although this is a normal part of the ageing process, it
can lead to osteoporosis, women being at an increased risk after menopause, when falling oestrogen levels can lead to rapid decrease in bone density.
So, how do we stop this in it’s tracks? Well, we can ensure we are getting an adequate intake of Calcium and Vitamin D – by regularly consuming dairy or fortified non-dairy products such as almond milk, eating leafy
greens, eggs, oily fish, nuts and seeds, and getting enough sun exposure.
However, the BEST thing we can do is regularly strength train. Load bearing exercise is the single best thing for increasing bone density, preventing bone loss, reducing risk of falls, fractures and osteoporosis!
So, who’s strength training this week?
