WHAT IS OSTEOPOROSIS?
Osteoporosis means “porous bone”. It is a condition where bones become thin and lose their strength, as they become less dense. While it doesn’t actually hurt to have osteoporosis, it means bones are more likely to break with less force. Sometimes, osteoporotic bones will break even without any sort of fall or accident. And it’s the broken bone that hurts!
One in two women and one in four men will experience an osteoporotic fracture after the age of 50.
Osteoporosis becomes evident in adulthood, but its origin is in childhood. The Australian Physiotherapy Association states:
“Osteoporosis is a paediatric disease with geriatric consequences.
Good nutrition and regular, vigorous exercise during childhood and adolescence are the keys to strong bones for life.
Strong bones start in childhood
Healthy bones begin in early childhood. Good nutrition goes hand in hand with weight bearing and muscle strengthening exercises or sports. Regular and vigorous activity cues the body to build strong bones. We reach our peak bone mass around the age of 30.
The key is finding the activities your kids enjoy. Encourage them to try many sports and activities until they find something they like. Between the ages of 5-17 kids should accumulate 60min of moderate to vigorous intensity exercise daily (WHO). If your child has tried one activity and not enjoyed it, they may prefer a different one. Team sports, individual sports, performing arts and martial arts are all great options.
Resistance exercise is safe and necessary
The International Osteoporosis Foundation reports:
“A 10% increase in peak bone mass density by the age of 20 will prevent osteoporosis onset for a further 13 years later in life”.
Another opportunity to decrease osteoporosis risk is during adolescence. Going to the gym can be a safe and enjoyable exercise. We can help your teenager get into an exercise program that will get their bone mass building
There are many resources available on osteoporosis, and we are super keen to help you do your best to build your bone mass and prevent osteoporotic fractures. We will be telling you more through our Facebook and Instagram pages.
Here is some info from the Australian Physiotherapy Association and Healthy Bones Australia.
