The best time to
build strong, healthy bones is during the childhood years. While bone
development and bone density are influenced by genetics, your child's
dietary and physical activity habits strongly determine the health of
her bones as she ages. A 2004 article in the journal "Preventing Chronic
Disease" restates this aptly, noting that osteoporosis is a childhood
disease with adult consequences. Children must consume an adequate
amount of calcium, maximizing their bone mass prior to their adult
years. Children must also engage in regular weight-bearing exercises,
further strengthening their bones.
Calcium-Rich Foods
Step 1
Serve a tall glass, or 16 oz.,
of vitamin D-enriched skim milk with your child's breakfast for a total
of 600 mg of calcium; children between the ages of 9 and 18 need 1,300
mg of calcium per day when their bones are growing at the fastest rate,
according to the National Institute of Child and Human Development.
Vitamin D optimizes calcium absorption.
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Step 2
Use two slices of low-fat
American cheese to make your child's sandwich for slightly over 200 mg
of calcium. Include an 8-oz., or 1-cup, serving of calcium-fortified
orange juice with his lunch; this adds 350 mg of calcium to his daily
calcium intake.
Step 3
Give your child to a calcium-rich snack for dessert, such as ½ cup of low-fat yogurt, or give her 1 cup of skim milk before bed.
Physical Activity
Step 1
Encourage your child to
participate in activities that involve a high degree of jumping and
running to stimulate increases in bone mass; children must engage in 10
to 20 minutes of high-impact activities such as soccer, basketball or
gymnastics for a minimum of two times per day and three days per week,
according to the American College of Sports Medicine.
Step 2
Show your child how to exercise
with the weights you have in your basement, garage or living room;
children can safely lift weights as long as they are directly supervised
and are mature enough to follow directions. Take your daughter with you
to the gym once she is old enough to enter the weight room; girls
generally have lower bone mass than boys and, therefore, have weaker
bones as adult women, according to the authors of the book "Exercise
Physiology, Energy, Nutrition & Human Performance."
Step 3
Refrain from having your child
use very heavy weights for weight-training exercises. Have him use
weights that are challenging, but that he can lift for 1 to 3 sets of 6
to 15 repetitions. Have him include multi-joint exercises, such as
squats, lunges, bench presses, barbell rows, push-ups, and pull-ups, in
his exercise regimen. The bone mass your child builds from weight
training in the childhood years gives him a better opportunity to retain
bone strength as an adult.
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