How maintaining healthy joints and bones is vital if we wish to remain active into old age. We rely on a healthy skeleton for mobility and independence, but most of us are not very good at looking after the 206 bones that link in joints to support our bodies and allow movement. My guess is that many of us don’t even give those parts of our bodies a second thought until they start to hurt or don’t work as well and then we soon grumble. And grumble we do ­ around one in five GP consultations are for musculoskeletal problems.

The human skeleton is not a static structure as you might think, but very much alive and constantly changing. Our bones are being broken down every day by cells called osteoclasts and built up again by osteoblasts. In children this process is so rapid that a new skeleton is produced every couple of years but like most things, this activity slows down as we get older. We still build a new skeleton every 7-10 years well into our twenties, but in our mid 30s the balance tips against us. Bone begins to be broken down faster than we can build it up, meaning our skeleton actually becomes thinner as part of the natural ageing process. Add to that the fact that the wear and tear in joints that have carried you (and most probably a few extra pounds around) over the decades and it is easy to see why we should take a little more care of the living breathing meccano set that is our skeleton.

If being in awe of your very own meccano set isn’t enough to inspire you to look after it, let me show you some statistics. There are an estimated 3 million people suffering from osteoporosis (brittle bones) in the UK (most of who have no idea) and around one in four over 50s complain of painful knees due to osteoarthritis. There are over 70,000 hip fractures in this country every year. More frighteningly, one in five women who suffer a hip fracture will actually die within the year. So are these horrifying figures an inevitable consequence of ageing? Thankfully not, with the right combination of nutrition and exercise, we should be able to remain active well into old age.

In order to keep osteoporosis and osteoarthritis at bay we need to understand why they develop. Perhaps I should start by explaining the difference between the two conditions, which are often confused.

Osteoporosis is the development of thin bones which fracture more easily.

Contrary to popular belief the condition is absolutely painless until a bone fractures. There are no warning signs and x-rays may even look normal until the disease is quite advanced. In contrast, osteoarthritis is the degeneration of the cartilage that lies between where two bones form a joint. Normal healthy cartilage and surrounding fluid are what keep our joints (the hinges in our meccano set) fully mobile and pain free. As cartilage is lost, bone starts to rub on bone and joints become stiff and painful.

Weight

It will come as no surprise that maintaining a healthy weight is crucial for your bones and joints, but fascinatingly for very different reasons. Healthy bones need to be stressed to encourage bone growth so being underweight makes you more prone to osteoporosis whilst the risk of developing osteoarthritis rises dramatically in those with a body mass index (BMI) over 25 who have increased wear and tear on the joints. To calculate your BMI, divide your weight in kilos by the square of your height in metres. Ideally this should fall between ‘8.5 and 25.

Exercise

Exercise is a vital part of maintaining a healthy skeleton, but the types of exercise we need to do to prevent each condition is different. Weight bearing exercise will stress the bones and protect them from thinning, but when it comes to osteoarthritis it is simply a case of keeping mobile. I am often asked whether exercise will make arthritis worse but in fact the answer is the reverse. Don’t believe me? Ask anyone with osteoarthritis and they will tell you that the pain and stiffness is worse first thing in the morning but eases as they get more mobile. Swimming won’t help prevent osteoporosis but is marvellous exercise for your joints.

Diet and lifestyle

Drinking above recommended limits and smoking will increase your risks of brittle bones and diet plays an important role too. Your bones need a rich supply of calcium and vitamin D (the daily requirements increase with age) to help to reduce a loss of bone density as you age, whilst your joints benefit from omega 3 fish oils and glucosamine, to maintain healthy cartilage and joint structure. If you are serious about the health of your skeleton and don’t think that you are eating enough of the essential nutrients you need, a supplement is a convenient way of providing your joints and bones with a regular intake of these important nutrients.

It’s never to late to start looking after your bones and joints but believe me, the sooner you start the more likely you are to stay active well into old age and be able to enjoy quality time with your grandchildren’s meccano sets!

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