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| Step On It America! |
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STEP ON IT AMERICA!
That's what the National Osteoporosis Association is advising all Americans to do this month and every month for the rest of our lives. "Step on it" means get up and exercise: it's one of the most important things you can do to build and maintain strong bones.
According to the US Surgeon General, "Physical activity, through its load-bearing effect on the skeleton, is likely the single most important influence on bone density and architecture". Yet only about 15 percent of adults get the recommended 30 minutes of moderate activity daily.
Countless studies show that our children are also far too sedentary. At a time in their lives when they need exercise to build strong bones, they are not getting the necessary hour or more per day of moderate activity.
Bone-building is intense during the adolescent years and then levels off between the ages of 20 to 30. By age 35, some bone loss becomes normal due to the aging process. That's why exercise is important—it helps to build and maintain bone density.
The two types of exercise that provide the greatest skeletal force are:-
Weight-bearing: this is exercise you do on your feet, like walking, jogging, stair-climbing, and dancing.
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Strength-training: this is working against resistance, like free weights, strength-training machines, and resistance bands.
- Benefits of
Pumping Iron
Exercise that strengthens the back is also important for preventing osteoporosis because the back muscles help to maintain or improve posture, lessening stress on the spine that can lead to compression fractures.
May is National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month; but let's 'Step on It' year-round to protect our bones.
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