Pittwater Life April 2017 Issue

Health & Wellbeing
Health & Wellbeing
Keep on moving
for better
bone health
Osteoporosis is a common condition in
which bones become weak and brittle,
leading to a greater risk of fractures; it affects
over one million Australians.
The most commonly affected bones are the
hips, wrist and spine, while spinal fractures can
lead to a loss of height and a stooped posture.
“It is common to be unaware of having osteoporosis
until you sustain an apparently minor
fall or bump and realise that you have a broken
bone,” said Jennie Strathairn from Avalon Physiotherapy
and Clinical Pilates.
There are a number of risk factors, such
as being a post menopausal woman, family
history, low calcium and vitamin D levels, low
levels of physical activity and certain medications
like long term use of corticosteroids.
“Early diagnosis of osteoporosis is crucial
so you get a head start in fighting it.. go to
see your GP if you think you may be at risk,”
advises Jennie.
She said regular and ongoing weight bearing
exercise, as recommended by a qualified health
professional, was a proven method of treatment,
along with medication or supplements.
“The more you apply stress to your bones in
the right way, the more the bone is stimulated
to strengthen,” she said.
The best exercises for building bone density
are: jumping (for example, impact aerobics,
netball, skipping); tennis; and jogging.
“Simply going for a regular brisk walk can be
beneficial too,” she said.
“We use a Galileo whole body vibration machine
which has a plate that you stand on that
rapidly pivots on a central axis, creating forces
through your legs, similar to running.
“Performing different exercises on this plate
has been shown to effectively build bone mass.
Come down and give it a try!”
More info call the practice on 9918 0230.
Eco Corner
The capacity for renewable
energy generation in
Australia is enormous. We
rank second, after Russia and
ahead of China, for renewable
energy production potential
according to a report by
Beyond Zero Emissions.
Is this a dilemma for us
as the world’s biggest coal
exporter?
Why does it take Elon Musk,
Co-founder Of Tesla, to spot
the opportunity to provide
utility scale battery storage
facilities in SA?
The opportunities in
renewables lie in harvesting,
storage and management.
We have a small window to
support our innovators and
ensure Australia takes a
leading position.
Contemplate the alternative:
the impact on the environment
of coal generated electricity
and the opaque pricing
practices which have seen our
electricity bills doubling in
some areas in the last decade.
There’s no denying that
some days the sun doesn’t
shine and the wind doesn’t
blow. That’s where the storage
of energy is crucial to smooth
out the peaks and troughs.
Ironically the motor industry
is driving the development
of battery storage for use in
electric vehicles to significantly
reduce CO2 emissions.
We have the ability to
generate, the technology is
rapidly becoming available
to store and the remaining
challenge is to allow
households to manage their
use of electricity intelligently.
What does smart energy
management mean? It allows
you to run your energy-hungry
appliances including washing
machines, dryers and pool
pumps, using stored energy
produced by your own solar
panels rather than drawing on
the electricity
grid at peak
times.
Russell
Lamb is the
Founder of
ecodownunder
46 APRIL 2017
Celebrating 25 Years