How Women Over 40 Can Prevent Shrinking!
April 26, 2008 – 9:24 pmDo you remember getting taller and taller as you reached adulthood?
As an adult, when you re-visited some of these ladies, now getting along in years, were you surprised to discover they were shorter than you recalled? Did you just chalk it up to your - as an adult - being taller now?
The fact is that your female relatives may very well have lost several inches in height. They could, indeed, be shrinking . . .
The medical community used to think that on average, a woman would lose between 2 1/2 and eight inches of her height in her late adulthood. Now medical experts are realizing that it can be prevented.
This shrinking is attributed to osteoporosis, which is a lessening of the density of the bone. Although both men and women have the same issues, it is more of a problem for women. The two best ways to prevent it from affecting you is to take supplemental calcium and have a regular fitness routine.
As you reach 40 years of age, it becomes increasingly vital to start a regular exercise program. Retaining your bone mass (and thus your height) is only one benefit of exercise. Staying fit reduces your risk of developing any of a number of health problems associated with your cardiovascular system, diabetes and even cancer.
The key to doing exercise on a regular basis is to do something that you really enjoy. Think about things you really like doing - walking, dancing, biking etc. It does not have to be a brutal workout at the gym.
In addition to aerobic activities that will get your blood flowing and heart rate up, weight bearing exercises are also critical. When you contract a muscle, force is applied on that bone and that which builds muscle also helps to build bone mass.
While activities like yoga and t’ai chi build bone mass, one of the most widely known ways is through weight lifting. Now before you begin to form images in your head of what you believe the average weight lifter looks like, let us just add something. Weight lifting isn’t necessarily the domain of just those testosterone-energized men out to outbuild their muscles. And if you decide to lift weights, you needn’t worry about developing overstuffed muscles like the woman competitive lifters.
But, there are some outstanding - and astounding - benefits that accompany this particular exercise. Just read the results of this study conducted by Miriam Nelson, Ph.D. of Tufts University.
Dr. Nelson studied two groups of post-menopausal women. They were not taking hormone replacement therapy or doing any regular exercise at the start of the study.
One group remained sedentary; the other began a simple weight lifting program. They only exercised twice a week for 40 minutes at a time. At the end of one year, the women who lifted weights had vastly improved results in their strength tests. In fact, their scores matched those of women in their late 30s and early 40s. And just about all the women lost inches from their body - if not weight - without changing their diets.
The most wonderful change in these postmenopausal women was evident in how they now spent their free time. Now free from the inactive lifestyles of before, they took up canoeing and went dancing and played a more active role in all of their lives.
As we reach 40 years of age and older, fitness becomes more and more important not only to our health but to enriching our lives. The key is to select one or two activities that you really enjoy that will keep you fit and do them regularly. The more active you are - the stronger your bones will stay - and the taller you will stand in your life.
Tags: Women
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