To strengthen bones and joints, it is recommended to eat calcium-rich foods and although milk and cheese are the best known, there are other sources of calcium besides dairy products, such as dark green leaves such as spinach and broccoli and nuts such as nuts and peanuts.
But in addition to eating these foods it is also recommended to perform physical activity, but it is not an exercise that is indicated because to absorb calcium and it strengthens bone mass, activities that favor muscle contraction should be performed exactly where you want to strengthen.
- For example.
- If the person needs to strengthen the bones of the leg.
- It is good to walk.
- But running has much more impact.
- Being much more effective; However.
- When the person is very weak and there is a risk of falling.
- Running may not be the best option.
- In which case physiotherapy or strength training exercises are the most appropriate.
You should invest in calcium intake, if possible, in all meals of the day. Prefering calcium-fortified foods is also a good solution, but your doctor may also recommend using calcium and vitamin D dietary supplements to prevent or treat osteoporosis.
Calcium-rich foods include sardines, tofu, Brazil nuts, beans, quimbombó and plums. You can see the amount of calcium in these foods here.
When eating these foods, you should not drink coffee, coke or eat chocolate as caffeine can interfere with calcium absorption, so you should wait at least half an hour for a cup of coffee after breakfast or lunch.
In addition, it is also very important to be exposed to the sun early in the morning so that the sun’s rays touch the skin, for the production of vitamin D which also helps strengthen the bones. In this case, you should ”sunbathe’ without sunscreen and not run the risk of burning your skin or having skin cancer, you should always prefer the morning hours, until 10 am or late in the afternoon, after 16.
The best exercises to strengthen bones are those that lead to muscle contraction but have a direct impact on the bone, so anything in the water like swimming, hydrotherapy and aquagym are not the most suitable.
Gymnastics exercises such as strength training, light running and Pilates exercises are excellent options for making calcium in the blood absorbed by bones, making them stronger, as well as strengthening joints, preventing pain and imbalances.
See more tips on diet and exercise in our video below: