May is Osteoporosis Awareness Month, but at Brevard Medical Equipment, we’re aware of it all year-round! Many of our customers live with osteoporosis, and because of that, we provide a number of items that make their day-to-day life easier.

But, our customers are not alone. Did you know that osteoporosis affects 20% of Americans over the age of 50? Of them, Caucasian women are the most susceptible to the disease.

In last week’s blog, we talked about some daily things you can add to your diet to help you grow healthy bones. Today, we want to talk about some daily exercises you can do that will help if you have thinning bones—although, we will say to ask your doctor before you start any new exercise regimen.

• Yoga—Studies suggest that regular yoga workouts are good for osteoporosis, especially in the places most vulnerable to fracture. Its movements don’t make impact on the bones, but still stress them enough to give them a good workout. However, some poses you should shy away from, especially those that require deep backbends.
• Walking—Do this 45 minutes a day, five days a week, and you could a dramatic reduction in your hip fractures.
• Dancing—Who doesn’t enjoy tapping their feet and moving to a beat? As long as you’re not stomping, leaping or doing something else that’s high-impact, dancing can be great for your bones.

Remember, while exercise is good for you, when you have brittle bones, some exercises should be avoided—especially those that carry a high risk of falls or that are high-impact. That rules out skiing and jumping jacks.
If you do have osteoporosis, remember, your mobility doesn’t have to be limited. At Brevard Medical Equipment, we carry a number of products in our online catalog that can make living with osteoporosis easier.

What do ice cream, tofu and sardines all have in common? They’re high in calcium and could be used to prevent osteoporosis, or aid those who already have it.

May is Osteoporosis Awareness Month, and we thought we would take a moment to talk a little bit about how diet can help in the prevention and treatment of the disease.

Almost everyone knows that calcium is good for the bones, but most people think of milk and cheese when they think of high-calcium foods. In fact, there’s a number of items you could include in your diet that are good for your bones. Below are a few suggestions for your daily meals that are packed with calcium:

Breakfast:

• Yogurt mixed with almonds and oranges, with a cup of soy milk on the side
• Oatmeal mixed with dried figs and a cup of orange juice on the side
• Cheerios (they’re not just heart-healthy—they’re bone healthy as well!)

Lunch:

• Spinach salad with sesame seeds, almonds, slices of oranges and canned salmon
• Collard green and black-eyed pea soup
• A sandwich covered with a black-eyed pea spread instead of mayo

Dinner

• Penne pasta with spinach and white beans
• Sardine pizza—no, really! The sardines are high in calcium, and the cheese on the pizza is excellent for bone health
• Caramelized tofu with Brussel sprouts—the whole recipe can be found here.

At Brevard Medical Equipment, we’re all about helping those who are living with osteoporosis. We carry a number of products in our online catalog that can increase your mobility, as well as a resource center to explain a number of terms related to osteoporosis.