To prevent and treat osteoporosis, how should we live a healthy life and exercise scientifically?

I believe that everyone must have paid attention to the recent scene of astronaut Wang Yaping in my country's Tianhe module running and watching TV series on the spacecraft. Don't think that it is just fitness. The more important point is to prevent the rapid loss of bone mass in weightlessness, which is one of the health management contents formulated by our national scientific team for her to prevent osteoporosis.

If the body's bone mass is compared to a "bone mine island" in the human body, then before adulthood, the volume of this island continues to increase naturally, that is, the body's bone mass continues to increase, and when it reaches the "peak bone mass", it stops increasing. This peak occurs in most people around the age of 30, and there are some differences depending on genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors. The results of the first Chinese osteoporosis epidemiological survey released by the National Health Commission of China in Beijing on October 19, 2018 showed that the prevalence of osteoporosis in people over 50 years old in my country was 19.2%; the prevalence of osteoporosis in people over 65 years old reached 32.0%, including 10.7% for men and 51.6% for women [1]. It can be seen that with the continuous increase of age, the various functions of the human body also begin to gradually decline. After the peak, with the increase of age and the changes in hormone levels of women after menopause, the volume of this "bone mine" begins to decrease. First, the "bone mine" stops expanding naturally, and then it begins to "erode", which eventually leads to the occurrence of osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is common in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women, as well as the elderly. Risk factors that may lead to osteoporosis include: being too low in weight (thinness is the beauty of the group pursuing a low BMI), insufficient exercise, smoking, alcoholism, staying up late, excessive intake of caffeine or carbonated drinks, etc. I would like to add that it is okay for workers who rely on coffee to survive to drink one cup of coffee a day, but you need to be careful if you drink two or three cups of coffee a day or even more.

Osteoporosis usually has no obvious clinical symptoms in the early stage. Although it occurs silently, its harm is shocking, so it is often called the "silent killer". The consequences of osteoporosis are fractures and various complications caused by fractures. Among them, one-third of patients with hip fractures die from various complications, and some of the survivors are disabled, which is also one of the most serious consequences of osteoporosis.

Although osteoporosis is very dangerous and difficult to cure, it can be prevented and treated with appropriate methods.

Maintain a good lifestyle ▷Do a good job of weight management: Maintain your body shape. Being underweight is prone to fractures and bone loss, and being overweight also increases the risk of fractures. ▷Do a good job of diet management: Eat more foods rich in calcium and vitamin D, such as seafood, soy products, dairy products, vegetables, nuts and other foods with added calcium. If calcium deficiency is serious, you cannot rely entirely on food to supplement it, and you should seek medical treatment in time.

▷Change bad habits: It is recommended to quit smoking and control alcohol intake to no more than 30g per day.

▷Increase outdoor sunlight and exercise: The exercise intensity should be tolerable and cause slight sweating.

Exercise prescription suitable for osteoporosis patients ▷Aerobic exercise: Studies have shown that aerobic exercise is beneficial for osteoporosis patients and can maintain bone health through exercise.

Forms of exercise: including walking, dancing, swimming, cycling and other sports.

Exercise intensity: 40%-60% of maximum heart rate (220-age) is appropriate.

Exercise duration: 30-60 minutes of bodyweight aerobic exercise per day.

▷Flexibility training: stretch and relax large muscle groups. Hold each movement for 15-20 seconds, 3 sets each time.

Front of thigh: Stand with one leg in a lunge, kneel on one knee on a cushion with the other leg and bend backwards, grab the ankle with the hand on the same side, lean forward with the body to feel the muscles stretching, and do not pursue excessive pain within your tolerance.

Posterior thigh and calf triceps: Place your legs one in front and one behind, with your center of gravity at the back. Straighten your front leg and tiptoe, and lean forward while bending your back leg.

Quadratus lumborum stretch: Sit on a cushion, lean forward and press down toward one side of your leg.

▷Strength training: can increase muscle strength and balance, reduce the risk of falling, and delay bone loss. Perform strength training 2-3 times a week, 3 exercises each time, 2-3 sets of each exercise, 10 reps per set.

Lunge squat: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, step forward and squat until your knees are about 90 degrees. Keep your thigh parallel to the ground, tighten your core, and push your legs back to a standing position.

Standing on one leg: Stand straight, slightly tighten your abdomen, shift your center of gravity to one leg and bend it slightly, and lift the other leg backward to maintain balance.

Band shoulder press: Stand upright, slightly contract your abdomen, hold the band with both hands, step your feet on the center of the band, and use the strength of your shoulders and arms to raise your hands above your head.

In short, early exercise and diversified training methods to strengthen bone stress under gravity load are the most effective lifestyle for preventing and treating osteoporosis [1].

References:

[1] Chinese Rehabilitation Medicine Association, Evidence-Based Medicine Center of Lanzhou University, Institute of Rehabilitation Information of China Rehabilitation Research Center, et al. Osteoporosis Rehabilitation Guidelines[J]. Chinese Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine, 2019, 34(11): 1265-1272.