In general, the height of the elderly aged over 80 years old will be 10-15 centimeters shorter than when they were young. What is this situation? Why does height retract when you get older?
1, osteoporosis
The part of the human body that bears the weight of the upper half of the body is our spine, the older you are, the bone matrix and mineral loss within the bone tissue will be the faster the speed of bone will be brittle, and resistance to fracture will be increasingly low. Then, under the influence of its own gravity, the spine will bulge backward and the vertebrae will flatten or deform, forming a hunchback.
This doesn't happen all of a sudden, it happens slowly, and when the spine's support decreases, the person's back becomes hunched, and he or she becomes shorter.
The early stages of osteoporosis don't actually have any obvious symptoms, but it affects us all the time, and many people don't realize they have osteoporosis until their bones become brittle and cause a fracture or bone pain.
Therefore, people who have reached the age of 50, it is best to do a bone density test once a year, early prevention of osteoporosis, so as not to suddenly fracture their own suffering.
2, muscle relaxation
Getting older, rarely exercise people, muscles and ligaments will become more and more flaccid, muscle elasticity will be poor, no muscle and ligament support, the spine will continue to curved, people will be the phenomenon of the round shoulders and hunchbacks, the external image of the short and fat.
The problem of muscle weakness is not only in the elderly, but also in office workers and students who do not like to exercise. Coupled with the bad habit of young people always playing with their heads down on their cell phones, the problem of hunchback and round shoulders will be more serious, and their height will also become shorter and shorter without realizing it.
3, intervertebral disc degeneration
Each of the two vertebrae in the body of the middle part of the existence of the intervertebral disc, which is composed of annular intersection of the shape of the annulus fibrosus and the white elastic nucleus pulposus, the annulus fibrosus is wrapped in the nucleus pulposus around the nucleus pulposus, which prevents the nucleus pulposus from protruding. The role of the intervertebral disc is to connect the vertebrae and bear pressure to facilitate the movement of the spine.
But the older you get, the more the nucleus pulposus becomes dehydrated, the more the discs age, and the smaller and thinner they become day by day. There are 23 intervertebral discs*** in the human body, and if each disc is 1 millimeter thinner, the entire person's height will drop by 2.3 centimeters. In other words, the thinner and smaller the disc, the shorter the height will become.
Methods to prevent hunchbacks from getting shorter:
The main culprit that makes mom and dad shorter and hunchbacks is still osteoporosis, so as long as we stay away from osteoporosis, our height will not retract.
(1) a balanced diet
Foods with high calcium content eat more in moderation, such as lean meat, green vegetables, soy products and seafood, etc. Don't forget to drink a cup of low-fat, high-calcium milk every day to replenish vitamin D3 and calcium, which is more easily absorbed than bone broth! It's best to avoid carbonated drinks and drink less coffee.
(2) adhere to the exercise
Seldom exercise people, bone calcium loss will be faster and faster. Exercise can slow down the rate of bone calcium loss and also promote calcium absorption. Older people, you can choose a more soothing exercise, such as playing ball, walking, Tai Chi, square dance and so on. It is recommended to exercise 2-5 times a week for more than 30 minutes each time.
(3) more sunshine
Vitamin D can promote the absorption and utilization of calcium, sunshine every day, can promote vitamin D synthesis. In hot weather, you can choose to sunbathe for 30 minutes in a ventilated, direct sunlight place; in winter, the intensity of light is weaker, and the sunbathing time can be longer.
(4) Scientific medication
The medication for osteoporosis should not be used casually, but should be taken correctly under the doctor's advice after the doctor diagnosed osteoporosis. Menopausal women can follow the doctor's instructions to supplement with the right amount of estrogen.
Conclusion: Seeing your mom and dad's height shrink, hunching over, as a child we will also be heartbroken. In order to make your mom and dad's body become more robust, why don't you let them pay attention to the prevention of osteoporosis from now on?