How Strong Are Your Bones? May is National Osteoporosis Month

The National Osteoporosis Foundation Issues the Jumping Jack Challenge to Raise Awareness about Building and Maintaining Strong Bones

ARLINGTON, VA (May 1, 2017) — Can you do 10 jumping jacks in less than 10 seconds? If so, then you may be ready to accept the Jumping Jack Challenge for bone health. The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) will kick off National Osteoporosis Month today by issuing a call to action to Break Free from Osteoporosis. The awareness and educational initiative includes free informational resources on building strong bones and a webinar on nutrition and bone health. In addition, NOF is encouraging people to accept its Jumping Jack Challenge to learn more about building bone strength.

An estimated 10 million U.S adults have osteoporosis. For women, the incidence of osteoporosis is greater than that of heart attack, stroke and breast cancer combined. For men, the incidence is greater than prostate cancer.

To prevent osteoporosis, you must build the strongest and densest bone you can early in life. You develop what is known as “peak bone mass” between the ages of 25-30, after that you break down bone at a faster rate than you build it. It’s important to consume a healthy diet, including adequate calcium and vitamin D, and do weight-bearing and muscle-strengthening exercises to build peak bone mass and to maintain your bone strength throughout your lifetime.

“We know osteoporosis causes two million broken bones every year in the U.S., yet the majority of Americans don’t realize how important their bone health is until they have a debilitating fracture,” said Amy Porter, executive director and CEO, National Osteoporosis Foundation. “That’s why we’re encouraging everyone to Break Free from Osteoporosis and accept our Jumping Jack Challenge to ensure people of ALL ages know how important good bone health really is.”

Jumping jacks are a recommended activity for building strong bones and helping to achieve Peak Bone Mass early in life. The Jumping Jack Challenge asks you to film yourself or your family or friends doing 10 jumping jacks in less than 10 seconds. Post the video to social media tagging your friends and asking them to take the Jumping Jack Challenge. If they don’t accept the challenge, ask that they make a donation to NOF to help raise awareness and support research in bone health. Use the hashtag #JumpingJackChallenge to help spread the word.

Throughout the month of May, NOF will provide webinars and resources to healthcare professionals and the public with tips on building and maintaining bone health as well as diagnosing and treating osteoporosis. These free downloadable materials and webinar registration links can be found on the NOF website at www.bonehealthandosteoporosis.org.

About the National Osteoporosis Foundation 

Established in 1984, the National Osteoporosis Foundation is the nation’s leading health organization dedicated to preventing osteoporosis and broken bones, promoting strong bones for life and reducing human suffering through programs of awareness, education, advocacy and research. For more information on the National Osteoporosis Foundation, visit www.bonehealthandosteoporosis.org.