By Holly

The next time you find yourself straining to do one more push up or free weight rep, think of this alarming statistic from the National Osteoporosis Foundation:  This disease threatens the bone health of roughly 55% of the U.S. population over 50 years of age, and can strike anyone at any age.

Today on The Doctors, they reported that one in every two women in the U.S., over the age of 50, could suffer a bone fracture related to either osteopenia (the stage of bone loss prior to a diagnosis of osteoporosis) or osteoporosis. Most people are diagnosed with osteoporosis from a bone break as a result of the disease, usually in the hip or spine…yikes!

So why the need to power through your workouts? Resistance and strength training is one of the best ways to ensure and restore bone health.

This is something the incredible Sally Field (love her!) knows. She’s a huge proponent of bone health, having been diagnosed with osteoporosis at 60, and has experienced a reversal of her diagnosis as a result of her bone healthy habits.

Instead of falling victim to her diagnosis, Sally shines as a spokesperson for her personal treatment option, Boniva, and is one of the forces behind www.bonehealth.com. This site features information on osteoporosis and nutrition and exercise tips for prevention and treatment. There’s even an excellent bone healthy workout video, available for free download, to help you get on track.

Additional tips for bone health include:

• Getting 10 minutes of safe sun exposure at least three days per week for natural production of Vitamin D
• Eating more squashes, sweet potatoes, and sesame seeds
• Reducing salt, caffeine, and alcohol intake and quitting smoking are recommended, since they all leach calcium from our bodies
• Talking to your doctor about your risk and treatment options
• Scheduling regular bone density tests as recommended by your doctor

Remember: Osteoporosis is both preventable and treatable. It presents no symptoms as it silently destroys your bone density, which is why the bone healthy measures you take today ensure the strength of your bones throughout your lifetime.

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