Bones & Joints

The structure of the skeleton

The human skeleton consists of a total of 206 bones, which vary greatly in shape and size. The skull, together with the spinal column, ribs and sternum, forms the central part of the skeleton. At this base are the bones of the arms, legs, shoulder blades, collarbones and pelvis. All these bones are connected to each other and can move in relation to each other in many places thanks to various bone connections, also called joints. There are also places where no movement is possible, such as the skull bones.

How does a movement come about?

Moving and bending your body is done with the help of joints and muscle power. Joints connect the ends of two bones together and ensure that you can move your arms, legs or thumbs, for example. There are different types of joints, including hinge, ball, roller and saddle joints. The ends of the bones in a joint are covered with cartilage to absorb shocks, a bit like the soles of our shoes. The cartilage is also lubricated with a viscous fluid to keep the joints flexible during movement. There are ligaments on the sides of a joint to keep the bones in place, and muscles run from one bone to the other across the joints. When you contract your muscles, they pull on the bones and thus provide movement.

Strong bones and joints

How do we keep our bones healthy and strong? Exercise and relaxation play an important role in this. For example, sleep is important because our body can recover from a good night's sleep and build new (bone) tissue. On average, an adult needs 7 to 9 hours of sleep. Exercise is necessary because it keeps your joints supple and makes your muscles stronger. The muscles around your joints ensure that your joints remain stable, that there is no slack in them and that they are loaded evenly.

Nutrients for your skeleton

Nutrition also plays an important role in keeping your bones healthy. For example, vitamin D is important for maintaining strong bones and muscles. Vitamin D ensures that calcium is extracted from food in the intestines and ends up in the skeleton. Sunlight is the most important source of this vitamin, but you can also support the joints, bones and muscles in your body in the form of vitamin D supplements. Did you know that vitamin K also contributes to maintaining strong bones? This vitamin stimulates the storage of calcium in the bones, the place where this mineral is most needed. In addition to calcium, magnesium is just as important for strong bones. Magnesium converts vitamin D into an active form, a form that is necessary for the proper absorption of calcium in the bones. Ergomax has various products that can support your bones, muscles and joints. For example, think ofCalcium & Magnesium Formulationfrom MegaFood, Grass-fed Beef Gelatin from Ergomax,Bone broth – pasture chickenof Broth of Life and CalciumBone Complex - MCH-Cal™from Doctor's Best.