Some common things that we hear from people in regards to their bones are: “I’m young, I don’t need to worry about my bone health yet!” or “My parents have osteoporosis, it’s inevitable that I’ll get it” or “There’s nothing I can do to help my bone density.”

What do all of these statements have in common, you ask? They are false. Today we’re discussing everything bone health! 

Your childhood, adolescence and early adulthood are THE most important times for developing healthy bone mass. I’m sure we’ve all heard of osteoporosis and know it to be associated with an older population… but what if I re-framed your mindset for a second? What if I said that osteoporosis is actually an early life problem, with old age consequences? Wake up call, right?? Stick with us here. 

Our bones are constantly regenerating and turning over. Out with the old, and in with the new ✨ To simplify things, the National Institute of Health came up with a great analogy: 

💰 Think of your bones as a bank account. You make DEPOSITS and WITHDRAWALS of bone tissue. 

💰 During childhood and adolescence, you make GENEROUS DEPOSITS through eating well and exercising. During these peak years, you are building up your bone mass and banking it. (Aka: you are depositing more than you are withdrawing)

💰 By our mid to late-twenties, we reach our PEAK bone mass. Working with what you’ve got from there, those “withdrawals” will be the main transaction from now until old age. 

If you did not build a strong, dense, healthy bone mass during your peak years… you’ll be starting with a smaller “bone bank” and things like osteoporosis can become a problem later on 🦴 

This information is NOT TO SCARE YOU; it’s purely to help you understand how our bones work. There are ways to help preserve that bone mass you currently have, and that’s what we’re focusing on today.

With the right calcium rich foods (move over, cow’s milk…there are new kids on the block), exercises to keep you moving and adequate Vitamin D… you’ll be in great shape. Check out what we mean below! 🦴👀