Your Bones, Joints and Muscles
Together, bones, joints, and muscles make up the human machine of movement. Your skeletal system gives you the shape that allows you to stand up straight, and it protects your internal organs from potentially destructive falls and accidents. Physical activity helps our entire body ` our heart, brain, and bones ` but the catch is that when it comes to your bones, joints, and muscles, excessive physical activity can be just as destructive.
Your Bones
Bones are living organs; they continually replenish themselves and regenerate to build new bone in place of old or damaged bone ` making it one of the few organs in the body to do that. It heals itself, and the new, repaired bone is eventually as strong as the original. After you turn 35, your bones stop growing and you gradually lose bone density. So your bones become more porous, weaker, and more susceptible to injury and fractures. Osteoporosis ` If that decrease in bone density is significant enough, it can lead to osteoporosis ` a condition in which the bones have thinned and weakened to the point where they can break easily.
Your Joints
Joints link one bone to another to allow us to move at the point of connection ` the way a hinge connects a door to a wall. Made up of ligaments and cartilage, joints are well lubed to keep your bones moving smoothly. Osteoarthritis is a condition in which the cartilage that covers the bones and forms the surface of the joints becomes thinner, rougher, and less protective of the bone, so the bones grind against each other, and the joint becomes inflamed.
Your Muscles
The 650 muscles in our body give us the strength to do everything. We all have varied levels of muscle mass, all of our muscles work the same way. Attached to ligaments,muscles are made up of tissues that contract and relax. Back Pain is the most common and debilitating muscle problem in terms of aging. The muscles in your lower back support a lot of your body weight. The people who are most at risk for back pain are those who go long periods sitting or standing, those are in poor physical condition or who have a poor exercise regimen, and those who do heavy labor.
The Live Younger Action Plan
Do The Right Amount ` And All Three Kinds Of Physical Activity
Of course, an important reason to do physical activity is that it will help you lose weight and keep the weight off. Your body can take only so much extra weight before it starts to break down. Physical activity has an effect not only on your appearance and on other areas of your health, but also on how your joints feel. In one study, women who lost just ten pounds had a 50 percent lower risk of osteoarthritis Show Some Resistance ` Weight training adds to your body lean muscle mass, which over time, consumes more calories than fat, and therefore helps keep your weight down. It makes your muscles stronger and better equipped to go through the motions of life. Increasing the strength of your lower back is the top way to avoid lower`back pain. Most of all, weight training builds bones. Just thirty minutes of weight ` bearing exercise a week is all you need to maintain and build your bone density. If you don`t do strength`building exercises, you lose 5 percent of your muscle mass every ten years. Be Kind To Your Body ` To live longer and best protect your joints from the onslaught of impact, the best stamina workouts you can do are swimming, rowing, cycling, and exercising on an elliptical machine. With swimming and cycling you get the benefits of cardiovascular training without the stress. Walking is also a super form of exercise, but most people don`t walk quickly enough to elevate their heart rates high enough to be classified as stamina training. The ancient method of exercise ` which is based on the principles of stretching, breathing, and being in tune to all of the ways your body can move ` has become popular because of the major health benefits you can derive from it. Yoga has three major advantages in terms of longevity: One it increases your flexibility. The more flexible your muscles are, the better range of motion you have and the less stress you`ll have on your joints doing normal activities. Two, yoga increases your strength. Some of the poses are as taxing as they are relaxing. They force your muscles to hold your body weight, which counts as resistance training ` and that gives you the additional benefit of building bone density. Yoga also helps you focus on your breathing. The best part about Yoga is that it is easy. 
Eat For Strength
When it comes to your bones, joints, and muscles, healthy eating comes in the form of just a few different foods and nutrients that do great things for structure of movement. Integrate them into your diet, and you`ll be rewarding your body with longer living. Calcium ` Proper amounts of calcium help keep your joints free of inflammation and arthritis, as well as help your muscles contract. Calcium also helps your brain communicate with your nerves, keeps your blood pressure normal, and reduces the risk of colon cancer. Still the reason calcium is your skeletal all`star is because it solidifies and strengthens your bones. Your body stores excess calcium until you reach your early thirties. After that, your body stops storing calcium, and you must rely on getting all the calcium you need from your diet. If you don`t, you`ll deplete the calcium stores in your body. As your body depletes the calcium stored in your bones, they become weaker and weaker until finally they become almost hollow. Vitamin D` Essentially, vitamin D increases the absorption of calcium, making it more efficient to deliver calcium to your bones so they can stay strong. Recent studies show that vitamin D may help slow the progression of arthritis. You can get vitamin D from three sources: the sun, food, and vitamin supplements. The sun actually triggers a chemical reaction that turns inactive vitamin D into active vitamin D. some foods, like fish and shellfish, have D naturally while other foods, like milk, 100 percent natural orange juice, and cereal often are or can be purchased fortified with it. Omega ` 3 Fatty Acids ` Are the good fats found in fish such as salmon and tuna and inn walnuts, canola oil, flaxseeds, avocados and olive oil ` are good for just about every part of your body. Omega 3s are believed to help provide lubrication that the joints need to function at an effective level. Vitamin C ` Can help prevent bone loss associated with osteoporosis, and cartilage inadequacies associated with aging. Specifically, when your joint has cartilage that needs to be repaired, vitamin C is needed for such repairs to keep your cartilage young. 
Make Minor Changes
Sometimes the smallest changes in your life can lead to the biggest results. Besides eating right and exercising, you can also maintain proper bone and joint health by making a few adjustments to the way you live. Stand Up Straight ` One of the easiest ways to strengthen your abdominal muscles ` and support your back ` is through good posture. Wear Well Cushioned Shoes ` Your body is pretty good about providing its own natural shock absorbers ` like the fluid between your joints and the cushioning between your vertebrae. But when we evolved from living on all fours to living on just two, we took advantage of it. Our feet don`t have the natural shock absorbers other parts of the body have. To better protect them, always wear well`cushioned walking or running shoes, especially when you`ll be on your feet for extended periods of time, even if you`ll be standing. Go Skim ` Being overweight exponentially increases the risk factors associated with so many diseases and conditions. The slimmer you are the less joint pain you`ll have. One of the first places you can cut fat is with dairy products. Go skim. Stop Smoking ` it`s safe to say that smoking is destructive to your bones. Smoking increases your risk of osteoporosis, making your bones weaker over time.