206 BONES IN THE HUMAN BODY
Structure, Strength, and the Art of Listening to Your Body
Our bones do more than hold us up—they hold our stories. For individuals in Maryland and DC, this reflection explores how bone health, movement, and mindful attention to the body’s signals help us stay strong, resilient, and connected to ourselves.
When I read this, I was surprised. I had never given it a thought. I know my body has a lot of them, but I was never particularly interested in counting them. Anatomy is not my strength. I am interested in keeping my bones strong. I know this is particularly important for women, so I get one of those scans annually and eat foods to keep my bones strong. Calcium and Vitamin D are an important team. As a child, the calcium source was whole milk. As an adult, cheese and green leafy vegetables do the trick. The vitamin D comes from supplements since sunbathing has been ruled out. I must trust these habits to keep all 206 bones healthy.
What do you do to address your health? I have a friend who is on the treadmill every morning, and if she can find good TV programs to watch, she may be there for an hour. I use a pedal contraption for my morning exercise. Getting your body moving every day is important. Those bones will not stay strong by magic. Another friend belongs to a rowing club and is up before sunrise to meet others at the dock and row together. I love the water, but I am not an early riser, so the rowing scull will have to wait. Although I used to have a rowing machine in the basement, I loved using it until we needed the space. Those things take up a lot of space.
I hope you have a habit of meeting yourself for exercise. If you have a dog, that is the perfect excuse for a long walk. The dog will love sniffing everything, and you will also get a great workout. Our bodies will not take care of themselves. They need our constant help as though they were newborns, incapable of doing anything but crying out.
How does your body cry out? Do you really take the time to listen? Do you have a backache or tend to favor one side over the other, or do your muscles cramp up at night? Our bodies have a way of sending signals to us. They ask us to pay attention and begin a conversation with these parts that are crying out for attention. Take one day—just one day—and listen to your body. Where are the aches? How is the movement? What brings on tiredness? Your body is wonderful at communicating if you decide to listen.
Now that you know that you have 206 bones to deal with, how many muscles do you think you have? Give yourself a pat on the back (if your shoulder would let you) if you guessed six hundred or somewhere in that neighborhood. Yikes! Each one of those has a function. This body is complex, and we are only looking at two parts. I cannot imagine what would happen if all those muscles decided to cry out at once! Attending to the ones that are crying out is important. Our muscles help to hold us together. Strengthening these guys is important. Exercise can be done in a variety of ways. Recently, I have seen the popularity of chair exercises as we age. What a great idea! I do not have to get on the floor and do pushups. I can use the kitchen chair and keep myself in shape. Hurrah for the kitchen chair!
Want to explore your bones in more detail? Visit Careers360’s full list of the 206 bones, Vedantu’s diagram and functions guide, and GeeksforGeeks’ breakdown of the human skeleton. For bone health tips, check out UPMC HealthBeat’s 6 tips for strong bones.
If you’re ready to listen to your body and strengthen your foundation, therapy can help. Learn more about individual therapy in Maryland and DC or explore therapeutic approaches that support physical awareness and emotional resilience.
By Dr. Gloria K Vanderhorst