3 Easy Ways to Support Your Bones

Per the United States Bone and Joint Initiative, Bone and Joint Action Week occurs annually October 12th-20th to raise awareness for several common bone and joint disorders:

• Arthritis
• Back pain
• Trauma
• Pediatric conditions
• Osteoporosis

Bone and joint (or musculoskeletal) conditions are the leading global cause of severe, long-term pain and physical disability. And the condition is widespread: more than half of Americans over age 18 have dealt with musculoskeletal issues. 

This week, see which of these bone-building activities you can work into your routine. It might be easier than you think to start building healthier bones and even prevent, reduce or relieve the symptoms of musculoskeletal diseases.

Three bone-building activities for Bone and Joint week

Jump around! Move your muscles to bulk up your bones.

What do basketball, weight training, and gymnastics have in common? They’re all good for your bones!

For kids and adults, bone-building exercise is crucial. Weight-bearing exercises like running and jumping put the right amount of pressure on bones to help them grow resilient.

Even aging populations benefit from weight-bearing exercises like strength training and rebounding (that’s the tiny trampoline). For decades, older adults have been warned against such activities, but studies are now showing that safe and monitored resistance and impact exercises can effectively improve bone strength, even in those already suffering from osteoporosis.

Boost bone health with a proven supplement.

Taking a supplement like Metagenics Bone Builder® Extra Strength is a great, low-effort way to make sure you’re taking care of your bones and joints. It provides bones with an absorbable crystalline compound made of naturally-occurring calcium, phosphorus and other minerals, plus collagen and other vital bone proteins.

Soak up some sun (safely).

Did you know your body’s best bone-building depends on vitamin D, even the most calcium-rich diet will fall flat when it comes to building bones. That’s because vitamin D is responsible for a big part of calcium absorption.

Sunlight and supplements are both great ways to get in your daily dose of vitamin D. We like to encourage folks to get outside, though, since it’s a great way to get a two-for-one dose of bone benefits.

How much sun is enough? The experts recommend fair-skinned people get about sic minutes of sunlight per day during summer and up to 40 minutes during winter. Do avoid peak UV hours and wear sun protection for any outdoor duration longer than six minutes or so. For darker-complected people, up to 40 minutes is recommended during the summer, and up to several hours in winter. 

But don’t worry — if you can’t get out in the sun every day, science says supplements are just as effective.

Make musculoskeletal health your mission!

To help you learn more about keeping your bones and joints happy, healthy and strong, we’ve put together a list of helpful resources. 

• Read Understanding Arthritis to learn about the types of arthritis (a form of joint inflammation), risk factors, and how to treat it.
• Learn more about osteoporosis in our blog series on bone health, beginning with Bone Health Part 1: Osteoporosis.
• For tips and risk factors for bone health for children and adults, visit mayoclinic.org.

References:

Brooke-Wavell K, Skelton DA, Barker KL, et al. Strong, steady and straight: UK consensus statement on physical activity and exercise for osteoporosis. British Journal of Sports Medicine 2022;56:837-846.

Woolf AD, Pfleger B. Burden of major musculoskeletal conditions. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 2003;81:646-656.