This is a sponsored post about a subject that I am passionate about, and is important information I want women to know about for their own health.
The women in my family have some wonderful traits. Tenacity. Thick shiny hair. An insatiable love for salty popcorn. And osteoporosis.
A history of weakened bones and breaks runs in my family. I watched my beloved Grandmother, the mightiest woman I know battle and finally die from the effects of this disease. And unfortunately she’s not alone. Did you know that more U.S. women die each year from complications of hip fracture than from breast cancer, and a woman’s risk of hip fracture equals her combined risk of breast, uterine, and ovarian cancer? That’s twenty thousand more deaths than caused by breast cancer and cervical cancer combined. An unbelievable, 1 out of 2 women over 50 will suffer a fracture due to osteoporosis.
After seeing my Grandmother struggle with this disease, I’m doing all I can to stay bone healthy.
First of all, I talked to my family doctor about my family history of osteoporosis and he recommended a bone density scan. A bone density or DXA scan is a simple scan that measures your current bone density. The test was super easy and took about fifteen minutes tops. I was shocked at how easy it was. (Painless, non-invasive, and you even get to stay dressed!)
A bone density scan gives you and your doctor important information. It will help predict your risk of breaking a bone, and statistics show that older women who had a DXA had a 35% reduction in hip fractures during the following three years.
The results? My bone health is good. Yay!
So, now I’m determined to keep it that way. Even though osteoporosis runs in my family, I CAN do things to lower my risk.
Here’s what I’m doing to make sure I stay bone healthy.
1. Exercise.
Weight bearing and muscle strengthening exercise keeps your bones strong and healthy. Find an exercise you enjoy doing. I do a mix of jogging, weight lifting, and walking my dogs. (Or are they walking me? Sometimes I’m not so sure!)
2. Diet.
Eat lots of fruits and vegetables and maintain a healthy diet. I love salads and am kinda nuts for arugula and avocado toast! (I also take a daily calcium and vitamin D per my doctor’s instructions.)
3. Don’t smoke and limit yourself to 2 drinks per day.
(Yes, that means chardonnay too.)
If you haven’t had a bone density scan, ask your doctor if you should get one. 4 out of 5 women will be affected by osteoporosis in their lifetime. So educate yourself! What medications are you taking or what medical conditions do you have that may increase your risk? Know your risk. We need to spread the word about our osteo health!
This is a subject I am so passionate about. I became a mom later in life and I don’t want to miss out on a second with my daughter. I want to be able to keep doing all the things we do together; hiking, biking and exploring the world. I want to be as active as I can for as long as I can and protecting my bones is one of the best things I can do to make sure that happens.
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Hologic, Inc. Hologic is sponsoring this post because the company is a leading developer of innovative healthcare products that enable women to lead healthier lives, everywhere, every day. To learn more about osteoporosis through Hologic, visit boneawareness.com, a website that Hologic launched in honor of National Osteoporosis Month. You’ll find lots of great info to make sure you know how to protect your own bone health.
What are you doing to make sure you keep your bones healthy? I’d love to hear!
xoxo-Rosie