Take good care of your skeleton, yeah?
Okay, don’t freak out, but I’m gonna let you in on something: inside you, like way deep inside you? There’s a skeleton. An entire skeleton, almost as big as you are! Just living in there! And it can’t take care of itself, so you need to do it for it!
Jokes aside, bone health is super important. Your bones bear the brunt of the forces you endure every day and allow you to, you know, move and stuff. But as with everything else in your body, if you don’t take good care of your bones, they’re gonna end up all chalky and brittle when you’re old, and that won’t be fun for anyone. So before that happens, remember these things to keep those bones strong.
First and foremost, calcium. Now, unfortunately, despite what all the Got Milk commercials told us, drinking a glass of milk every day doesn’t really cut it. The recommended amount of calcium for an adult between 19 and 50 is 1,000 milligrams. You can get this by eating dairy products, of course, but also from things like almonds, kale, certain kinds of fish, and soy products like tofu. However, don’t overdo it on the calcium either, or you could end up with kidney stones. Find a good middle ground with your doctor.
In addition to calcium, you need vitamin D. Vitamin D is what lets your body process calcium; no vitamin D, no calcium. You can get vitamin D from things like mushrooms and eggs, specially fortified foods, and above all else, good old sunlight. Try to get around 600 IUs of vitamin D per day.
Finally, perform weight bearing exercises. As with your muscles, your bones will build themselves up to become tougher with the right stimulus. Even something simple like jogging or climbing stairs is great for bone health.
