Dem Bones...

These bones of ours take a beating over a lifetime...

Here are a few fun bone facts.

• There are about 206 bones in the human body
• The strongest and longest bone is the femur bone located in your thigh
• The smallest and lightest bone is the stapes, located in your middle ear. 
• Arms are the most commonly broken bone in adults
• Collar bones are the most commonly broken bone in children
• Bones are made of calcium, phosphorus, sodium, collagen, protein and other minerals
• Bones produce blood cells.
• The skeletal system accounts for 1/6 of your weight.  See...you aren't overweight, you just have big bones!  Ha ha...

So, you can replace bones, but they aren't as cool as the real deal so how can we take better care of our bones?  

If you are in the menopause years, pay attention.  

Our bones begin to lose density as we age, leading to a condition called Osteoporosis.  You've probably heard of it.  It can cause our bones to fracture, even under normal circumstances. 

Aging bones become brittle and bend and become misshapen. 

Muscle mass decreases that can leave our bones and joints unprotected.

 There's good news though!  Here are some things we can do to keep our bones strong...

• Eat a balanced diet, rich in calcium and minerals
• If you are low in calcium and vitamin D, talk to your doctor about getting on supplements
• Exercise regularly.  Focus on muscle building exercises.
• Eliminate tobacco and alcohol use.  They interfere with the absorption of calcium.
• Keep your hormone levels in balance.  Too much thyroid hormone or not enough estrogen can make your bones weak.
• Maintain a healthy weight.  Underweight people often have less bone mass.

Just because aging is one of the biggest factors to loss of bone, doesn't mean we have to sit idly by, watching our skeleton deteriorate.  Get up an move.  Exercise is by far one of the most important things we as women in menopause and advanced years can do for ourselves.  

Dem bones will thank you!