No matter your age, you can improve your bone health and quality of life through simple lifestyle changes. That's the message Dr Vonda Wright - a surgeon, researcher, author, and leading expert on ageing science - shared on Davina McCall's new podcast, Begin Again, this week.
In recent years, we've heard all about the benefits of strength training for women and why it's so important to look after our muscles, especially with the onset of perimenopause symptoms.
However, Dr Vonda Wright says our bones are most overlooked. Appearing on Begin Again, she said: "[We think of bones] as the 'strong, silent' type. The person standing in the back of the room, surveying, but what I want people to start to understand is that bones are a metabolic, hormone-releasing organ. Our bodies are so smart. In addition to holding you upright, being responsible for the mineral release, being a storehouse for minerals and all the building blocks of our body - did you know bones release a hormone called osteocalcin?"
This hormone is essential for building strong bones but it "works in the brain to improve neurotransmitter release", helping with cognitive function, says the doctor.
"We also know that bone is critical for glucose regulation and satiety, meaning that osteocalcin can work with the muscle and the fat to aid in insulin sensitivity and go to the pancreas to release more insulin. It's mind-blowing. It also releases a protein called lipocalin 2 that goes to the brain and tells your brain 'I'm full now' - just like GLP-1 [semaglutide, aka Ozempic]," she says.
The good news is that you don't need to change your routine dramatically to start building better bone health. The time to do it is in your late 20s, 30s, and 40s - but the doctor assures us that these tips are for "everybody" to "build better bone" throughout their life.
"Bodies will respond to the positive stimuli we place on it, no matter our age," she says.
Dr Vonda Wright's tips for building stronger bones:
- Jump: "Let's bash these bones. It sounds crazy but I need you to jump," she says. "I need you to run around. I need you to not just walk up the stairs. I need you to pound up the stairs. Research has shown it's irrefutable. The mechanical impact of pounding your bones translates into biochemical feedback, which causes your bones to say, 'oh a lot is being expected of us', let's lay down better bone."
- Feed yourself: "We cannot calorie restrict and expect to build enough bone density, partly because our bones require protein and minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D," she says. Being in a constant calorie deficit also means, if you've not been through menopause yet, your oestrogen levels will be in flux - and "oestrogen and testosterone have a critical role to play in healthy bone manufacturing".
- Stop smoking: "It inhibits bone growth. We know bone will not heal if we've got the poisons that come with smoking in our bodies."
- Build muscle: All the attention on strength training at home and the gym isn't for nothing, says Dr Vought. "Even if you don't want to or can't jump for whatever reason, we can build muscle to move our bones that will help build better bone."
For those who are new to exercise or coming back from an injury, the doctor suggests taking it one step at a time. "The best way I have found to get back to the place of confidence is progression - maybe you don't run as fast as you can [at the beginning]." She suggests doing speed and mobility work at the gym instead.
This advice is perhaps most important for those going through perimenopause, she adds. "We begin to see women decline in oestrogen and testosterone in our early 40s. Even if we're menopausal at 52, the hormonal changes start much earlier. We begin to see the muscle and bone changes in women that early."
