It’s Time to Do Some Jumping Jacks

May is National Osteoporosis Month, which means it’s time to do some jumping jacks. Seriously?

Well, osteoporosis is a serious in which the bones become brittle and fragile from loss of tissue, typically as a result of hormonal changes, or deficiency of calcium or vitamin D.

An estimated 10 million U.S adults have osteoporosis. For women, the incidence of osteoporosis is greater than that of heart attack, stroke and breast cancer combined.

For men, the incidence is greater than prostate cancer.

To prevent osteoporosis, you must build the strongest and densest bone you can early in life.

You develop what is known as “peak bone mass” between the ages of 25-30, after that you break down bone at a faster rate than you build it.

It’s important to consume a healthy diet, including adequate calcium and vitamin D, and do weight-bearing and muscle-strengthening exercises to build peak bone mass and to maintain your bone strength throughout your lifetime.

Jumping jacks are a recommended activity for building strong bones and helping to achieve Peak Bone Mass early in life.

Take the Jumping Jack Challenge, For Bone Health

Can you do 10 jumping jacks in less than 10 seconds? If so, then you may be ready to accept the Jumping Jack Challenge for bone health.

The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) will kick off National Osteoporosis Month today by issuing a call to action to Break Free from Osteoporosis.

The awareness and educational initiative includes free informational resources on building strong bones and a webinar on nutrition and bone health.

In addition, NOF is encouraging people to accept its Jumping Jack Challenge to learn more about building bone strength.

For more information on the National Osteoporosis Foundation, visit www.nof.org.