Activate Kids – Building stronger bones

HOW TO HELP YOUR CHILD BUILD STRONG BONES!

So, for today’s topic, how to build strong bones!

It’s easy for us as adults, let alone children to take our bones for granted. After all, they do all their work behind the scenes. But when a bone breaks, it’s a pretty big deal! Bones take time to heal! 

The very same as building a house, before you do anything else you will need a very solid foundation. Having strong bones in childhood is the exact same thing, this lays a foundation for bone health throughout life. We build almost all our bone density when we’re children and teens. 

Kids with strong bones have a better chance of avoiding bone weakness later in life. As a parent, you can help by making sure kids get the three key ingredients for healthy bones: calcium, vitamin D, and exercise.

• Give Kids High-Calcium Foods

Calcium is a mineral that’s known for building healthy bones. It’s found in dairy products, beans, some nuts and seeds, and leafy green vegetables. 

• Give Kids a Vitamin D Supplement

Vitamin D (sometimes labeled vitamin D3) helps the body absorb calcium. But most kids don’t eat many foods that contain vitamin D. Because vitamin D is so important, health care providers recommend all kids take a vitamin D supplement if they don’t get enough in their diet. 

• Encourage Kids to Exercise

Our muscles get stronger the more we use them. The same is true for bones. Weight-bearing activities like walking, running, jumping, and climbing are especially good for building bone. They use the force of our muscles and gravity to put pressure on our bones. The pressure makes the body build up stronger bone.