Bone Health For Workout Addicts
You’re young, you’re fit and you exercise regularly – three factors that are bound to keep you healthy and strong so you think. But that’s not entirely true, not if you’re prone to repetitive stress on one part of your body like your legs or arms. Runners and sportspeople who tend to focus just on their sport are at risk of developing stress fractures, the minute, hairline cracks that appear in your bones when you pound the pavement regularly or run on court during games or training schedule. The scary part of this scenario is that it happens even if you’re young and well inside the age when bone diseases like osteoporosis and arthritis set in. And if you’re a woman, you’re doubly at risk because of your genetic makeup. You can prevent becoming the victim of stress fracture by following these simple tips:
- Supplement your Diet with Vitamin D and Calcium: Calcium is necessary for strong bones, and Vitamin D helps in the absorption of calcium. So include more milk and low-fat dairy products that are fortified with Vitamin D in your diet, besides eating more citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruit. The best source of natural Vitamin D is sunlight, so get out in the open as much as you can – if you’re worried about the risk of cancer, try the early morning sun when the rays are the least harsh.
- Cross Train: Rather than work just the same set of muscles each day and increase your risk of repetitive stress injury, vary your workout so that you work different parts of your body each day of the week and also strengthen your muscles and ligaments. If you’re a runner, you could lift weights every alternate day. Talk to a qualified trainer before you change your routine though.
- Proteins: Proteins help build strong muscles that help cushion your bones and prevent stress fractures. Increase your protein intake when you’re exercising on a regular basis, especially if you’re working with weights and building muscle mass.
- Go slow: Never do anything too fast – if you’ve never exercised before, start slowly and gradually increase your pace as your stamina and endurance levels grow. Always start with adequate warm up and stretching exercises and cool down once you’re done to prevent injuries to your muscles. Don’t push yourself just because others are doing it; remember, each of us is different, and this is why we must choose exercise routines that uniquely suit our bodies.