October is Musculoskeletal Awareness Month.
Your musculoskeletal system is everything. And we’re not exaggerating.
The musculoskeletal system consists of bones, tendons, ligaments, muscles, joints, cartilage and other connective tissue.
Basically, it’s the foundation of your body and everything you need to move.
As you can probably imagine, it’s important to take care of your musculoskeletal system so that you can do all the things you want to do, like stand upright and chase an ice cream truck or a Harry Styles lookalike.
This means keeping up with the strength of the musculoskeletal system. Everyone begins to lose bone density in their early 30s. However, bone loss in women accelerates during perimenopause and menopause, meaning your bones are more likely to crack and break. And osteoporosis, a disease that weakens bones, primarily affects women.
In addition to bone loss, age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia) can also lead to life-threatening injuries and impair quality of life.
But it’s not all doom and gloom – we promise. There are things you can do starting today to increase your musculoskeletal strength.
We asked Katherine J. Coyner, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at the UConn Musculoskeletal Institute and the university’s team physician, for tips on strengthening your musculoskeletal system.
5 tips to strengthen your musculoskeletal system
1. Prioritize weight-bearing exercises. Weight-bearing exercise is basically any activity that involves supporting your body weight and working against gravity. For example, hiking, running and walking are all weight-bearing exercises that help strengthen bones.
Non-weight-bearing exercises like swimming and cycling don’t have the same benefit because you’re not supporting your body weight in the water or on the bike.
2. Familiarize yourself with resistance training. Resistance training is anything that challenges your muscles. This might mean lifting weights or using a machine—but you don’t have to be a gym person to reap the benefits of resistance. Using your own body, you can challenge your muscles (e.g. push-ups, pull-ups, squats, etc.) and increase both muscle and bone strength. “Two to three days per week is ideal, and not necessarily focusing on the amount of weight, but the quality of exercise and body weight can be just as effective,” Coyner said.
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3. Consume enough protein. If it seems like protein is everywhere these days, it is. Literally. Protein is found in every cell in your body, including your bones. It is also important for muscle repair and maintenance as well as building strength.
How do you know if you’re getting enough protein? The recommended daily amount is 0.4 grams per pound. So a person who weighs 140 pounds should consume about 60 grams of protein per day. Foods like lean meat, fish, dairy, legumes and soy are good sources of protein
4. Check your calcium and vitamin D intake. Calcium and Vitamin D are like Laverne and Shirley for bone health. They work together to prevent bone loss, strengthen bones, and support strong muscles.
Women age 50 and younger should consume 1,000 milligrams (mg) of calcium daily, and women over 50 should consume 1,200 mg daily. For vitamin D, the recommended daily dose is 600 international units (IU).
You can get both calcium and vitamin D from salmon, tuna, and some fortified products.
Read: 10 Things You Need to Know About Vitamin D >>
5. Make healthy lifestyle choices. Try to make sure that everything you put into your body is good for it. For example, smoking can negatively impact your musculoskeletal system by reducing bone density and reducing your ability to absorb calcium. And alcohol consumption harms your musculoskeletal system by increasing inflammation, increasing your risk of injury and impairing your body’s ability to build muscle. “Making better decisions every day [can be] really helpful,” Coyner said.
6. Manage your stress. Stress causes the muscles to tense up, which can affect the entire body and lead to painful, chronic diseases of the musculoskeletal system. To reduce stress, try to exercise regularly (at least 30 minutes of walking per day), get enough sleep, and do breathing exercises to stay calm and stay strong.
Musculoskeletal health is important
Sitting less and moving more is important for the overall health of your musculoskeletal system. So if you’re not interested in running, jogging, or other traditional cardio exercises, think outside the box. Coyner suggested that people try different activities such as yoga, Pilates or Zumba to find what they like.
At the end of the day, you need to make yourself – and your musculoskeletal system – a priority. Coyner said to think of it like a retirement plan. “So that when you get older you have the appropriate strength and hopefully you don’t suffer a devastating fracture.”
It’s just like the old saying goes: happy musculoskeletal system, happy life.
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