Kids are often boisterous and full of beans, and they’re are often making plenty of mischief when they are outside running after each other. And all that activity will mean that they are likely to suffer a few bumps and grazes while they are playing. But what if one of their smaller injuries actually caused something a lot more serious, such as a broken bone? Well, thankfully, that isn’t something you need to worry about too much if you ensure that your child’s bones develop strongly.

So, how do you encourage the body to strengthen its bones? It’s quite easy to do this in children as their bodies are still growing and are influenced by many external factors. All you need to do is follow these great tips for improved bone strength.

Check Your Family History

There are lots of medical conditions that are passed on from generation to generation, and these include a few bone diseases including hip dysplasia in kids. Plus, if you have a someone in your family who suffers from osteoporosis, then you are very likely to develop it yourself. As a result, it really pays off to do some research into your family’s medical history to see if there are any conditions that you weren’t aware of. Then you know exactly which health conditions you should try and prevent. Your doctor will also be able to prescribe any require medication that can also help reducing your child’s risk of developing a bone disease. 

Eat Food That Helps Bones

Following a healthy diet can go a long way in helping your children’s bones develop as they should. And making sure they get certain vitamins and minerals in their daily diet can also greatly strengthen bones. The two main ones that kids need to consume are calcium and Vitamin and D. The body needs calcium to grow bone material, but without enough Vitamin D, it won’t be able to absorb the required amount of calcium. You can find these in dairy products, eggs, and fortified cereals. It’s also important that your kids get plenty of potassium, as this neutralizes all the acids that remove calcium from the body.

Daily Exercise

If bones aren’t used regularly, they will become weak and brittle. So too much sitting around and watching TV is just a fast track to osteoporosis! Ideally, your kids need to be exercising on a daily basis. Even just running around and playing in the back yard should be enough activity to keep their bones happy and healthy. You need to encourage children between the ages of five and eighteen to get about an hour of physical activity each day. Some of this should be at least medium intensity, such as cycling, swimming, and playing in the playground. 

Reduce Caffeine Intake

I don’t know that many kids who drink coffee, but if yours do you should limit it. Caffeine is known for reducing bone density and also prevents the body absorbing calcium effectively. Kids shouldn’t be having more than one caffeinated drink a day.