Calcium, Vitamin D and Exercise are Essential for a Growing Body
Whilst it is recommended adults get five, 30 minute exercise sessions in a week, teenage girls should be doing five, 60 minute sessions. Strong bones is just one of the reasons...
Between 9 and 18 years of age girls are in their main bone-building years.
To ensure the growth of strong bones girls need 1300 milligrams of calcium, 200 international units of Vitamin D and 60 minutes of physical activity every day.
Why?
Why are we concerned about teenage girls building strong bones?
You have probably heard of osteoporosis. It affects a huge proportion of middle and old age women, and some men. It results from weakened bones and women are more likely to suffer because they lose about 20% of bone mass after menopause.
If we develop strong bones before they reach their peak density at 18 years of age we are far less likely to develop osteoporosis in older age.
Calcium
Dairy products (cheese, yoghurt milk) are great sources of calcium but did you know the following non-dairy products are a great source of calcium too?
Green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, bok choi, broccoli, rocket
Beans - especially white beans
Nuts - especially almonds
You will also find products that have calcium added to them such as bread, cereals, and tortilla wraps - check the label.
Vitamin D
Many of the above products are fortified with Vitamin D, which means it has been added to them. These include milk, yoghurt, cheese and cereals. Vitamin D can also be found in oily fish and eggs. However the best, and most readily available source of Vitamin D is the sun.
By spending time in the sun as often as possible we can help develop strong bones.
Exercise
It is important for teenage girls to exercise regularly and to take part in at least 60 minutes of activity every day.
Activities that are great for promoting strong bone growth include; dancing, basketball, walking, gymnastics, jogging, skipping, karate, running, football, tennis, volleyball and walking. Supervised weights and resistance training are also ideal.
Whilst cycling and swimming are great aerobic exercises they aren't so good for bone health as the water or bike support the body so the bones aren't getting the impact of the activity. If your teenager enjoys cycling or swimming encourage them to participate in other activities 2 or 3 times per week.
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