Most of us have seen the elderly in the family or neighbourhood suffering from debilitating bone fractures of the arm, leg or hip due to osteoporosis. However, in what is an alarming new trend, cases of such osteoporotic fractures are now being presented in relatively younger people, even those in their 30s. Doctor say this is because of a lack of physical activity and a sedentary lifestyle that has reduced the average age of osteoporosis. It has been found that youngsters in their 30s who broke their bones during regular day-to-day activities, represented bones of a senior citizen. This is due to the fact that they lead a largely sedentary life for many years, with minimum walking either to an elevator or car and at home. According to research the incidence of such osteoporotic fractures have increased in people under 50s as compared to 20 years back when most such cases were found in people above 60 years of age. During the ageing process, it is common for men and women to lose their bone density by 0.3 per cent to 0.5 per cent after the age of 35 years. Nowadays, youngsters are getting affected by osteoporosis, which is a condition of extremely weak bones, resulting in a decrease in bone mass due to loss of bone mineral density. The condition is more often seen in women either due to their anatomy and other physiological factors, but due to changes in lifestyle, there is an increase in incidence of osteoporosis in the urban youth. Modern Lifestyle The Main Culprit? The primary cause of osteoporosis is calcium and Vitamin D deficiency. As modern lifestyle includes low intake of calcium, low sun exposure resulting in Vitamin D deficiency, lack of exercise and poor habits such as smoking, increases the risk of osteoporosis in youngsters. With technology making lives easy, rising affluence and increasing ownership of vehicles, habits like walking to the neighbourhood store everyday or cycling to work are no longer practiced. Elevators have universally replaced stairs, common instruments like hand pumps that required hard work are no longer needed and the facility of home deliveries has done away with the need to carry groceries home every day. All these conditions have drastically reduced physical activity levels as compared to years back. And this is the major cause of the declining strength of the bones. Apart from eating healthy it is extremely important to exercise everyday to maintain bone health. Bones are living tissues which thrive on exercise and the loss of bone mineral density can be stopped by exercising. Doing exercises which involve lifting if weights have proven to be beneficial for bones. Things are still different in rural India where hard labour is still a part of daily life. So, both men and women in rural areas have better bone health as compared to those in urban areas. Weight Bearing Exercises Exercises that put stress on the bones like weight bearing ones, help build their strength. Any physical activity that forces us to work against gravity is known as a weight bearing activity. These exercises increases bone density and strength. They should be done depending on one’s capability and strength and by increasing intensity slowly, overtime. Some of the most common exercises include the following: Weight Lifting Lifting of weights helps build bone density, muscle and also improves bone health. However, only do heavy weight lifting if you are in good health and start with small weights and increase gradually. Trekking One of the best ways to build bones is by trekking, mountaineering and hiking. This form of exercise is perfect for an adventure lover but everyone must give it a try. Begin by walking everyday at least for half an hour. Aerobics If you love fast moving exercise and dancing, then you should practice aerobics more often. Aerobics are fast, increase heart rate and are wonderful for building calories and improving bone health as well. Jogging Going for a Jog or a run is an amazing exercise. It helps manage weight, improves heart health and also builds muscle and bones. Take the Stairs Skip the lift and take the stairs, next time. This builds stamina and strengthens the muscles and bones. Walking A brisk walk is perfect for those who cannot go to the gym or do aerobics. Walking everyday for at least 30 minutes is a great way of improving overall health. It is a low impact exercise and does not affect the bones negatively Dr. Rajeev K Sharma M.S. (ORTH) Gold Medalist, D.N.B. (ORTH), M.CH. (ORTH) Managing Director & Chairman Institute of Adult Reconstruction, Sports Injury & Joint Replacement VIMHANS PRIMAMED SUPERSPECIALITY HOSPITAL, NEW DELHI Former Senior Faculty Member, Dept of Orthopedics- AIIMS, New Delhi Former Senior Consultant, Dept of Orthopedics- Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi

Mumbai, March 5, 2016As most of the Mumbaikars were emerging from their slumber, 600 women participants of Times Womens Drive gathered at The flag off event at Rising City, PWD Grounds, Ghatkopar Mankhurd Link Road, Chembur to participate in the worlds largest and possibly the longest car rally. The seventh edition of Times Womens Drive (TWD), witnessed an enthusiastic participation from 1350 plus women who drove to Goa from Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore to celebrate the spirit of womanhood. All participants displayed great passion as they decorated their cars in innovative themes. The flag off event witnessed women parading their 4 wheel beauties decked with social messages on diverse social issues with great lan. In Mumbai, the flag off event was a star-studded affair with Bollywood celebrities like Arjun Kapoor, Sagarika Ghatge and Patralekha flagged off cars and motivated participants. The first car to roll out was the Rosy car driven by actress Sagarika Ghatge. In all 200 cars were flagged of from Mumbai and 150 cars from Pune and 100 cars from Bangalore. 1350 participants dressed in exclusively designed Times Womens Drive T shirts were seen driving a range of cars to compete and raise awareness for a social cause. Participants will reach picturesque beach destination of Ganapatipule at the end of their first day. This will be a two day car rally following the rules set by Indian Automotive Racing Club (IARC) on the 636 km stretch with the help of a tulip chart. The drive was organized in Time-Distance-Speed format (TDS). Times Womens Drive has grown bigger, setting new milestones with each passing year. This year the participants collectively polled a record 30 lakh votes from their acquaintances from over 100 countries to get themselves selected for the drive. The drive has emerged as a platform for the modern Indian women to show their indomitable spirit by taking up new challenges and boldly display their concerns on issues affecting women. This drive had set a new Guinness World Record on 22nd February 2014 for most female participants in motorsport event with 934 participants. This year the drive has been made more challenging by increasing the distance and making it a two day drive. These new challenged did not deter the participants but further strengthened their resolve. The drive will culminate on March 6th 2016 at Goa. This year the entire judging process is digitized so that the results will be known on a real time basis. The participants are showered with prizes in this edition with first team prize worth Rs.454,500, second team prize worth Rs.330,000 and third team prize worth Rs.226,000. This is not all, there are several interesting contest which gives ample opportunity to each participant to win exiting prizes. Each participants stands a chance to win prize for Best Dressed Team Rs.30,000, Best Decorated Car Rs.30,000, Most Social Active Team Rs.30,000, Best Social Message Rs.25,000, Best Creative Group-fie Rs.44,000 and Best Team Name Rs.44,000, Most Fashionable Woman, Rs.28,000 and Best Makeup Rs.4000 TWD stands for the true spirit of women today that represents confident, independent, and enterprising with a penchant for social causes. Women from all walks of life home makers, Navy officers, police force, corporate women, cancer survivors, NGOs participated in this drive making at an all-inclusive drive. Times Womens Drive is supported by Mercedes Benz, Mount Litera, Rising City, Goldilocks, Dr. Aeroguard, Asian Paints, GO Cheese, Vijay Sales, Four Fountains De-Stress Spa, New India Assurance, Chambor, Ocean, HPCL and Zuri White Sands. This is an initiative by Times IBCE. For further information, please contact Anand Iyer Deputy Chief Manager Integrated Brand Communication & Experiences (IBCE) Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. (The Times of India Group) Mobile: 98671 69672 Email: anand.iyer@timesgroup.com