Can Meditation Improve Your Bone Mineral Density?
When it comes to women’s health, the key areas we focus on are:
Hormonal Balance
Muscle Mass
Cardiovascular Risk
Bone Mineral Density
We often focus on nutrition and exercise to support these areas. For example, eating a high-protein diet, getting enough calcium and fiber, and incorporating weight training can make a big difference. Caring for your mental health and building stress resilience are also very important, since they play a key role in your overall well-being.
Bone Mineral Density (BMD) is an important factor in women's longevity and overall health. For women, BMD peaks between the ages of 25 and 35. As we enter perimenopause and menopause, our hormonal shifts cause us to lose BMD. This puts us at greater risk for fractures as we age.
A recent meta-analysis looked at studies that observed the impact of stress reduction strategies like tai chi, yoga, Pilates, and mindfulness-based stress reduction. These practices were shown to improve Bone Mineral Density, along with other markers such as anxiety and depression, in peri- and postmenopausal women.
Stress and mental health are major contributors to our overall health status (more than we may even think). Psychological stress produces cortisol and catecholamines like epinephrine and norepinephrine. This study shows that cortisol can interfere with how we rebuild quality bone tissue. In particular, cortisol can decrease the activity of osteoblasts (the cells that build bone) and increase the activity of osteoclasts (the cells that break down bone).
By improving our stress resilience and mental health, we can actually support our Bone Mineral Density in the process.
Want to start building your stress resilience? These apps can be a great starting point:
Curious how all of this ties into your own health journey? Schedule a discovery call with me to get started!
