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Preventing Broken Bones
Even though healthy bones are very strong, any bone will break if the force applied against it is great enough. Bones that are weakened by disease or misuse may break more easily than healthy bones. To develop and maintain healthy bones, a person needs adequate amounts of calcium and proper exercise.
Because of the way bones are made, calcium is very important in the growth, development, and maintenance of strong bones. Adequate amounts of calcium are necessary as a child grows and for the adult as well. Women, in particular, must have enough calcium in their diet. The female hormone estrogen regulates the use of calcium in women's bodies. Following menopause, when women produce far less estrogen, calcium regulation is more difficult. So it is very important that women make their bones as strong as possible before menopause, through weight-beating exercise and adequate calcium in their diets. In some women after menopause, bones fracture very easily because they have been weakened by calcium depletion.
Because of the way bones are made, they also get stronger with regular but not excessive exercise. If a person is active, bones will become stronger and more dense. The bones of an inactive person are often not as strong and may fracture more easily than those of an active person. For this reason, older people should try to remain physically active.
Proper diet and exercise, along with an understanding of what bones are made of and how they break, may help in preventing some fractures.