Extraordinary 80s: Building Muscles & Bones
In November, I wrote about sarcopenia — muscle loss — and how it can negatively affect aging. This time, it’s about a second disease affecting older adults, osteoporosis — weak and brittle bones. These diseases can often occur together. When that happens, you can lose your independence — a major fear for seniors.
It’s important to understand these two debilitating conditions, as they are both silent diseases and often show no symptoms until a fracture occurs. So it’s important to take several steps now to lower your risks and improve your chances of enjoying your Extraordinary 80s.
First, know that bone is a living tissue and the body constantly absorbs and replaces it. As we age, however, new bone creation may not keep up with old bone removal, weakening your skeletal structure. When osteoporosis occurs, falls can easily result in fractures.
Most falls affect the hips, spine and wrist bones. Hips and spine will probably require bed rest to avoid putting weight/pressure on the fracture during recovery. Extended bed rest, however, can lead to loss of muscle mass, which can make you less active because of loss of strength. Taken together, osteoporosis and sarcopenia can result in inability to care for yourself and requiring help to do.
Second, you can find out the condition of your bones by asking your doctor to order a DEXA scan, a non-invasive procedure covered by Medicare. A bone specialist evaluates the scan and assesses the condition of your bones. Included in the report is a fracture risk score (FRAX) for incurring a major fracture over the next 10 years. Your doctor then recommends which course of action to take: diet, supplements, exercise, drug therapy or a combination.
Third, take action. DEXA results may confirm that you have osteoporosis, but the good news is that knowing can help you manage or reverse your score over time. You may not need drug therapy and may be able to lower your fracture risk through diet and exercise.
Diet: Eat foods rich in calcium, magnesium, vitamin K and protein. Vitamin D is also important; you can get it through supplements as it can be difficult to get enough through foods.
Weight exercises can help build bone. When doing exercises with weights, such as a bicep curl, lifting the weight causes the muscles attached to the bicep bone to vibrate, which sends a message to the body to build bone. So consistent weight training can offset natural bone loss. The weight needs to be heavy enough to cause the bone vibration — a 3-pound dumbbell may not be heavy enough to do any good. To build up to heavier weights, start with the 3-pound dumbbell and progress to heavier weights.
Free resources on osteoporosis and recommended exercises can be found at melioguide.com/ and superage.com/. Joan Rainwater-Gish is a personal fitness trainer specializing in seniors, and chair of the Senior News Community Advisory Council. Email: jrainwatergish@gmail.com.
