Did you know that one in two women and one in four men will break a bone during their lifetime because of osteoporosis? Bone is living, growing tissue. Throughout your life, you are constantly losing old bone and making new. Osteoporosis is a disease that occurs when the body makes too little bone, loses too much bone or both. At North Jersey Podiatry, many times it is a stress fracture in the foot in someone over 50 that leads to a diagnosis of osteoporosis. Strength is important for the bones of your feet (all 52 of them) as well as the rest of your body. Building stronger bones is something anyone at any age can work to do. Diet, exercise and lifestyle choices can increase bone health and decrease the risk of osteoporosis. Below are 7 simple ways to build stronger bones:

  1. Assess your risk—talk to our podiatrist, Dr. Paul G. Klein, especially if you have had a foot or ankle fracture, about your risk for low bone density and osteoporosis. There are many risk factors for osteoporosis, including age, family history, certain diseases, taking particular medications and body shape. Your physician may recommend that you have diagnostic procedures like a bone density test to help evaluate the strength of your bones.
  2. Know your numbers—find out from your doctor how much calcium you should have each day. This number can change based on your age and sex.
  3. When buying cereal, juices, bread, and milk alternatives such as soy milk, look for ones that are fortified with extra calcium.
  4. Eat more leafy greens. Kale, turnip greens, arugula, broccoli and bok choy are all good sources of calcium. In addition, increasing the vegetables in your diet is part of an overall healthy eating plan.
  5. Try a new sport or fitness activity: take a dance class, join a hiking club, or take tennis lessons.
  6. Quit smoking.
  7. When you have sweet craving try a “dessert flavored” Greek yogurt instead of reaching for cookies or processed snacks.

Strong bones are particularly important for the health of your feet. To learn more ways to be proactive about your podiatric health, contact our Wayne, New Jersey office by calling: (973) 595-1555.