071: 5 Good Deeds for your Bone Health in MENOPAUSE

If you’re wondering how to care for your bones without adding to your to-do list, this episode is for you.

I’m sharing 5 Good Deeds for Your Bone Health—simple, effective actions that support strength, balance, and well-being. Plus, a journaling prompt to help you check in with what your body needs.

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🎧 Tune in and start caring for your bones—one good deed at a time!

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Thanks for listening to The Strong Bones Coach Podcast!

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Transcript

Carly: 0:37

Hello and welcome back to the Strong Bones Coach podcast. I'm your host Carly Killen and today we're going to be diving into another way you can support yourself and your bones through menopause and we're going to be looking at five good deeds you can do for yourself that support your bones. So before we get started, let me clarify this is not just about adding more things to your to do list, so don't worry. These good deeds are not about perfection. They're just simple, sustainable ways to take care of yourself in the midst of life's busyness. And I think at this time of year, we could probably do with a bit more of that. And especially, As we are in the middle of winter here in the UK, so I'll be touching on why things like vitamin D are especially important right now. Plus, I've got a little journal prompt for you at the end, so grab a cup of tea or your favourite drink, settle in and let's get started. So since we are focusing on good deeds for your bones, we want to start with nourishing your bones with some key nutrients and As we have a shortage of sun right this moment, I thought we'd focus on vitamin D. So, we often hear about calcium and vitamin D when it comes to your bone health, and it's for a good reason. So we have calcium there as being one of your building blocks for your bones, but it's the vitamin D that helps your body truly absorb and lay that down. And as we have our hormones dropping, especially the oestrogen, we need all the help we can get when it comes to that bone turnover. Because as we get a little older, as the oestrogen levels start to drop, we can find ourselves breaking down our bone and not rebuilding it quite as fast. So this natural bone turnover is Natural, as I said, it's a normal part of life. But when we're younger, and when we have plenty of oestrogen, it rebuilds at the same rate as it breaks down. This breakdown is really important, and all of our cells have a shelf life, so to speak. They have a natural life cycle. So when that end of life cycle comes, the old cells want to be cleared away. So this is why our body Does the job really well of clearing away the old very much like this time of year there's a lot of shrubs right now or looking a little bit Sorry for itself since time for a good clear out but what we want to do after we've had a clear out is to be able to rebuild and This doesn't happen quite as fast as we age and as our hormones Start to drop So, especially over winter, when sunlight is scarce, as many of us in the UK side, we might struggle to get enough vitamin D through the sun, which is a great way to get it when we can. So, this is why considering supplement can be quite useful. Of course, I'm going to caveat here that Ensuring you seek medical guidance. I am not here with you now. I'm not exactly sure who is listening here So I cannot give you this as personal advice. So please do Consider this alongside Your medical practitioners advice or if you have a dietitian or of course reach out for more support personally So our bones need more than just these two nutrients. So it's not all just about vitamin D and calcium. There's a few other key nutrients that can be super useful around our mid life that can also help us support our bones. Now you may wish to consider, if you are going to supplement with vitamin D, is choosing one that is also paired with K2. This is so much easier for the body to absorb. So it's quite likely you will get more use from this vitamin versus the standard type. We also might want to consider magnesium glycinate. This can be super helpful for supporting your sleep and it supports your muscles. So slightly indirectly, but when we have healthy muscles, they can pull on our bones and help on. Bones know to stick around to support us and of course if we're getting better sleep Because we can relax those muscles and we can sink into a better quality sleep our body will be able to enter that rest digest repair state Which is what's needed to help build our bones back. And of course there is protein super vital in keeping us strong healthy and Given our body enough of those nutrients amino acids to build our body back. So we're always in that cycle of letting go and renewing. So we want to make sure we are providing our body with enough nutrients and That we are feeling nourished so we can build back stronger. Especially when we start to challenge ourselves with something like lifting weights, perhaps. So all of these play a vital role in maintaining your bone strength. So, keep those in mind. And of course, you'll be able to get most of this through a varied diet. However, the ones I've mentioned can just sometimes benefit from a little boost. But of course, remember to still get your balanced diet in. So that's plenty of fruits, veggies, roots, plenty of protein, and lots and lots of color, lots of variety. This is super helpful for you right now. So on to good deed number two. Give yourself a break. And no, I don't mean a broken bone. So, I see so many of you pushing yourselves to exhaustion and I'm not saying this to shame or make you feel bad or guilty I say this with love just to grab your attention and whether that is in your career, your family life or even in fitness. So remember, taking intentional rest Stress isn't just important for your energy levels, it's also crucial to maintain healthy bones. So when we have stress hormones like cortisol rising and staying high over the long term, these can have a negative impact on your bone density. So when you're constantly on the go, you might not realise how much you're draining your body. And this is because when we're constantly rushing, we can struggle to dip into that repair mode. Because our nervous system needs us to have a sense of safety, a sense of relaxation before we can allow this to happen. So rushing around just doesn't help. So please, take this as your permission slip to prioritise rest and recovery. It's as important as everything else. And this doesn't have to mean doing nothing. It can just mean being mindful. about how you're balancing movements and downtime. You can even include gentle stretching, mobility work, breath work, or simply giving yourself permission to pause. Rest is productive too. Good deed number three. Do some strength training and stability work. So this one is close to my heart because strength training has changed my own life and the lives of many of my clients. All of my clients. So one client in particular of mine used to really struggle with that racing mind and feeling like she was never fully present. But when she started strength training, something shifted. She told me that when she focused on the connection between her muscles, her breath, her movement, everything else just fell away. It became a form of mindfulness. Yes, even lifting weights can be a form of mindfulness. And this is what she experienced, a time where she felt truly in her body, not just in her head. And that's one of the biggest hidden benefits of strength training. It's not just about muscle and bone health, although those are huge perks, it's also about that deep self connection. So, whether that is lifting weights, using resistance bands, or focusing on bodyweight movements like squats or lunges, give your bones that signal that they need to stick around and they need to stay strong. Good deed number four, improve your balance and posture. So, it's easy to overlook balance when we realise it's too much. not as strong as it used to be. We don't always feel like working on those things that we find challenging. But improving your stability is a proactive way that we can prevent falls and fractures. is especially important as we go through menopause. Because if we haven't had that background of lifting weights, perhaps if we've had a background of an early perimenopause, and we've been a longer time period without oestrogen if HRT has not been used. And this is not to say we absolutely must use HRT, you have your full choice here. But there are factors, especially as women, that can predispose us to having less bone density. And so if we do fall as we get older, and we've developed something like osteopenia or osteoporosis, then our risk of a fracture will be very much higher. So this is great advice even if you already are diagnosed with osteoporosis or osteopenia, because all of the work you do to strengthen yourself, and all of the work you do on your balance and your posture, this will, this will reduce your fall's risk. Which becomes super important if you know you already have brittle or lower bone density. So good balance starts from the ground up. So this is your feet, so take care of your feet, keep them strong. And you can do simple exercises like heel to toe walking, single leg stands. Tai Chi can make a big difference as well. And some of these things you can do whilst the kettle's boiling too. So, extra bonus. You don't need to take any extra time to do this. Little and often makes a huge difference. And of course, posture matters too, so many of us will spend long hours at desk, perhaps looking down at phones, using the laptop. I'm also guilty of this, and this can impact our spinal health. Now, the spine is an important area to support our whole body. It's also an area where osteoporosis and osteopenia can show up in the early days as well. So whether you're diagnosed or trying to prevent this, your spinal health is super important. And you can support yourself by taking regular desk breaks, standing up every hour or so. I know you don't have to rely on the fitness watch to buzz and tell you to stand. I know it doesn't feel good to be bossed around by a machine all day, so I'm not talking about that. But think about these regular movement breaks as a way to really care for yourself. It will probably affect your productivity in a good way as well. Taking those little breaks allow you to have the mental break as well as giving your body the break it needs. So whether it's a standing up every hour or so, maybe using a smaller glass for your water so you can get up and fill it up a little more often, or perhaps organising a little walk with a friend, or perhaps a solo walk for some peace and quiet on your lunch break. Just have a think about how you can get your body moving a little bit more often. Because these little things, like standing tall, even rolling your shoulders back, even focusing on engaging your core throughout the day at various points, can help to reinforce and support your posture. And over time, this really will support your spine. And the final good deed, although I'm sure there are more, number five, stay connected to yourself and others. So we've talked about self connection through strength training, but connection to others is just as important for your bone health too. There are many studies that show that loneliness and social isolation can contribute to higher inflammation levels in the body and poorer health outcomes. So community and support, whether that's through attending a strength class, a walking group, even online spaces, it can help us keep engaged and motivated and inspired. We always lift each other up when we get together as women, and the more we can do that the better. And if you are navigating menopause, and all of the changes that come with it, knowing you're not alone is so valuable. Having a space where you can ask questions, share experiences, and feel supported, it really will make that difference to you. So there we are, our five good deeds you can do for your bone health in menopause. And I did promise you a little journal prompt, a self check in perhaps. So as we wrap up, I'd love for you to take a moment to reflect and grab your journal if you have it to hand. Or maybe just make a mental note to jot this down later. Which of these five good deeds do I already practice? Opportunity to celebrate yourself here. And which one could I focus on this week to support my bone health? So no pressure, just a chance to tune in, see where these small meaningful shifts could happen for you. So remember your bone health is a lifelong investment and these small intentional actions add up over time. And if you're ready to start building your strength in a way that supports your bones and your overall health, I do have my strong bone starter kit as a perfect first step. It includes simple beginner friendly strength training videos that you can use to help you master those key movements to lay the foundation for long term strength. You can find the details in the show notes or head over to my website carlykillen. com. Thank you for tuning in, here's to taking care of your bones and yourself, the strength, balance and self compassion. Until next week, stay strong.