Exercise is important to incorporate into our lifestyle for many health reasons.  It is one important link in maintaining bone health and strong muscles throughout the lifespan.  Bone health and exercise is especially important for women across the menopause years, as the drop in oestrogen disrupts the bone remodelling cycle, resulting in bone loss occurring at a faster rate than bone building up.  Exercise is one way, in combination with diet strategies, that slows bone loss and helps to maintain and strengthen bones to prevent falls and fractures later in life.   Exercise and bone development throughout life Exercise for bone health is important when we are young, during our…

Quite often, once we hit the menopause years, we start thinking about supplements to either help with symptoms or to improve our health and prevent disease in the future.  Bone health or osteoporosis prevention is one such health consequence of menopause, and many women decide to take calcium supplements to maintain strong bones, but, are they really needed?   What does the research say about calcium supplements   The research is conflicting as to whether calcium supplements are needed or not, and there are many questions around safe dosage requirements.  There is no question that calcium is essential for bone health, especially through the menopause years and as women age.  …

Bone health is imperative as we age, and is especially important as we go through menopause.  Bone loss starts to occur slowly after the age of 35, and by the time perimenopause has started and oestrogen levels start to fluctuate, it can occur more rapidly.  Oestrogen plays an important role in bone strength and prevents bone loss – menopausal women are at risk of developing osteopenia and osteoporosis due to the overall decline in oestrogen and other factors. The average woman loses up to 10% of her bone mass in the first 5 years of post menopause.   Osteoporosis is more common in women as they age than men.  Data…

Dual energy x-ray absorptiometry, otherwise known as a DEXA scan, is a type of x-ray that measures the density and strength of your bones.  It is used to estimate the extent of bone loss, diagnose osteoporosis or measure how well treatment for osteoporosis is working.  They are the most accurate test for measuring bone loss, measuring within 2-4% precision. How does a DEXA Scan work DEXA scans use a much lower frequency or amount of radiation compared to x-rays.  They use two x-ray beams that are absorbed by both soft tissue such as muscle and ligaments, and bones. Different equations are then used to calculate your bone mineral density –…