Fun, Facts & Fitness from Mary Morris MSc.
A few years ago, during a health review at my local surgery, the Practice Nurse dismissed the idea that I might be low in Vitamin D because I was outdoors almost every day with my walks. Imagine my surprise when a letter popped through the door to say that, following my blood test, I was low in Vitamin D and must take a supplement, particularly during the winter months! I have done so ever since.
Basically, anybody living significantly north of the equator, as we do, may be low in this vital vitamin and need to take a daily supplement. In fact, vitamin D deficiency is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies worldwide with one research review finding 42% of the adult population with levels that are too low.
You may be interested to learn that a research review is one that looks at loads of different studies in the scientific world around a particular subject to discover how likely the results are to be true. Now many of you reading this may feel that you don't like to take any kind of supplement and simply prefer to get all your nutrients from your healthy diet, which I have no doubt you work hard to maintain. However, I have to say, this is the one exception, particularly in the winter months when your ability to absorb sunlight is very low.
If you are deficient for a prolonged period it will cause you to be low in blood calcium which is so vital for your bones, as Vitamin D3 and Calcium work together to keep our bones strong. Absorption of Calcium is guaranteed when they are both present. But it is not just our bones we need to be concerned about as many studies have found that a deficiency also impacts many other conditions, for example:
- How often you get a cold and how long it takes you to recover
- Wounds take longer to heal
- Back and muscle pain can be more frequent
- There is also some evidence that a deficiency may even be linked to depression.
It is highly likely that we have no idea if we have a low level of Vitamin D unless we take a test to find out. This should be part of any health review, through a blood test, at your local doctor’s surgery and there are even home test kits now available.
Of course, you won't be surprised if I take the opportunity to remind you that the other amazing way you can keep your bones strong is by taking regular exercise. If you have already been diagnosed with a lower-than-normal bone density then taking appropriate action with an effective exercise regime, combined with advice from your medical practitioner, is vital if you are to avoid bone fractures in the future.
Strength Work is the Key
Improving the strength of our muscles must be a priority in any fracture-prevention programme. Aside from the benefits to the bone structure and strength, (because all our muscles are attached to our bones), muscle also acts as a shock absorber and this just might be the one factor that prevents us from breaking a bone. Very usefully, the muscle acts like a hard rubber pad!
We now have a new programme available on our website targeting the most vulnerable areas of the body designed for those diagnosed with either osteopenia or osteoporosis, with the aim of keeping you and your bones as strong as possible.
Interestingly, in a well-controlled and fascinating study, researchers compared a strength routine using heavy hand weights and low repetitions with light hand weights and high repetitions. The study results showed that the heavier weight with just a few repetitions resulted in a significant increase in bone density, whilst using light weights and doing high reps was ineffective. So, working with the heaviest set of hand weights that you can manage just 6-8 repetitions will give you better results.
The debate around vitamin supplements used to be quite a controversial one with some doctors questioning their effectiveness whilst others enthusiastically supported their use. 
