Prioritizing bone health critical to healthy aging, doctors say. Here's how tennis and other sports can help.
Orthopedic care is crucial to aging.
Doctors say as people move into their 50s, strengthening their bones through nutrition and movement can make a big difference.
When tennis is more than tennis
New Jersey grandfather David Ratner, 85, is acing aging one serve at a time. Ratner says the tennis court is his secret weapon for strengthening his bones and joints.
"Tennis has kept me going - feeling young, being active, and if I don't play every day, I don't feel right," he said.
Open heart surgery at age 49 served as his wake up call.
"That's when I said to myself never give up playing, stay active, eat properly and hope for the best," Ratner said.
Since the surgery, he's focused on his health, including exercise, food and bone nutrition.
"I come here every day," Ratner said.
David Suissa, 72, is one of Ratner's cherished competitors and friends, on and off the court in Marlboro. He also keeps his mind and body agile through hiking, biking and tennis.
"The legs, the hands and the mind, those three things work together," Suissa said.
While the tennis buddies struggle with aging, aches, pains and arthritis, they say they're rolling back the years with their rackets and tennis balls, netting a longer life.
What happens on the court has benefits off the court
Doctors say Suissa and Ratner are mastering the art of aging by prioritizing bone health and orthopedic care.
"As people get older, they get stiffer. And that's because their tendons, their ligaments, their muscles all get tighter," said Dr. James Gladstone, chief of sports medicine at Mount Sinai. "And I think, because of that, flexibility when you get older is a huge part of how you keep yourself in good condition."
According to the New York State Department of Health, one in two women and one in four men over 50 experience an osteoporosis fracture, which is most common in the wrist, spine and hip.
"That's one area where you lose bone mass, particularly. And also, when you fall, either you twist yourself trying to hold yourself up, and your muscles fire. Some people even break their hip before they even hit the ground," Gladstone said.
Mount Sinai has an "Own the Bone" program, focusing on treating fractures and preventing falls and broken bones. Gladstone says anti-inflammatory and plasma injections can bring pain relief and can at times avoid surgery, but arthritis and wear and tear on the knee continue to be concerns.
"To date, we have no way of stopping [arthritis] progression, or reversing it," Gladstone said.
As for osteoporosis prevention, doctors recommend getting bone density scans, testing calcium and vitamin D levels, eating leafy greens and exercising using weights and cardio to strengthen muscles around joints.
