Anlene promotes freedom of movement on World Osteoporosis Day

Many people believe that signs of Osteoporosis and weakening joints and muscles only manifest in older individuals. We may think and feel our bodies are still in good condition while in our 30s, but bone breakdown actually begins to occur at this age. Don’t worry – this is not a threat; it’s a sign to listen to your body and take better care of it as you age. 

To those in their 30s living an active lifestyle, you might be wondering if you should reduce your gym hours, or take it easy on doing indoor cycling or going to dance classes. Meanwhile, those who are looking to start a physical hobby may be a bit more hesitant to take the first step, even! To ease overthinking, there’s a way to keep your body moving despite early warning signs of aging, and this is what the adult milk brand Anlene aims to promote in celebration of World Osteoporosis Day.

Anlene Philippines’ senior brand manager Ria de Vesa-Ella said that movement supplemented by proper diet, exercise, and a superior nutrition partner does the trick.

“[Anlene] is the only adult milk that is clinically proven to make a difference in just 4 weeks. It has the highest Calcium vs other adult milk brands, high level of protein, 100% vitamin D, vitamin C, and collagen. All of these nutrients are essential for one’s bone strength, joint, and muscle health,” she said.

Freedom to move

As Anlene promotes the freedom to move, headlining this month’s activities was its sponsorship for the Manila Marathon held last October 6 at the SM Mall of Asia Complex. Over 7,000 runners braved the race with the route going through Ayala Avenue, Roxas Boulevard, and Intramuros. 

Spotted during the event were runners with caution tape wrapped around their legs. The image represents that despite mobility restrictions as one ages, being active physically is still possible as long as you take care of your health.

Similar to its localized efforts in offices and communities, Anlene also gave out samples of their nutritious milk drink and provided access to health experts for free consultations for the runners to enjoy before or after their run.

Running for World Osteoporosis Day

Fast forward to October 20th, marking World Osteoporosis Day, Anlene co-presented the 2024 Women’s Run PH at the University of the Philippines Diliman.

Also partnering with the International Osteoporosis Foundation, Ella said their collaboration with Women’s Run PH was perfect as both institutions aim to encourage their consumers to move without restrictions in mobility.

The sea of women in pink filled the stretch of Roxas Avenue, showing how much empowered Filipina runners there are with over 6,000 participants.

Just like in the Manila Marathon, runners also lined up for free Anlene samples and health consultations.

Finishing strong

Topping the thousands for 10 km was Kristine Santillan, who clocked in at 47 minutes and 51 seconds. Santillan also bagged an Anlene Age Strong Award for her age category. 

Santillan shared that she started running eight years ago and has committed to an active lifestyle since she was in college. Aside from running, the 2024 Women’s Run PH 10 km top finisher also swims and loves yoga, but focuses more on strength training at the gym.

Santillan added that this is her first time to join a fun run with mostly female participants. “Masaya pala siya, you could actually feel the women empowerment.” The women’s run is part of Santillan’s training block as she’s planning to join a marathon in December. Santillan meanwhile shared advice to those who are hesitant to start an active lifestyle due to mobility restrictions, especially those who are already feeling signs of aging. She shared that while she maintains an active lifestyle at age 36, doing stretches as soon as you wake up or before sleeping will greatly help with training your body for strenuous activities. She noted that many people underestimate this part of the training as soon as people age, especially during their 30s. 

Stronger at 56

Among the runners for 5 km is 56-year-old teacher Maria Lina David, who finished the run with an estimated time of 26 minutes and 30 seconds – her fastest record for 5 KM so far. David topped the age group category of 55-69 runners. “I’m very happy about myself, especially that I’ve run the fastest so far… It encourages me to continue what I’m doing, which is running.”

Just like Santillan, the 2024 Women’s Run PH is part of David’s training block, also aiming to join a marathon by the end of the year. 

David has only been running for a year, yet she’s already clocking in a lot of miles and reaching a lot of milestones. “[I started running] by accident because there was a poster in the gym so I joined that. And ever since, I have [continued] running.”

David added that she will commit to running while she can. 

David has been diabetic for over 15 years, but she says she never thought of it whenever she runs. “Sometimes, I just forget about my diabetes.” 

To overcome her condition, David shared that she maintains a healthy diet and lifestyle. “I go to the gym, and I’m not really picky on food. I eat anything I want, but I don’t eat after 6 pm. I also take vitamins regularly.”

Beyond the freedom to move

Anlene’s message to combat mobility restrictions is not only for people like Kristine and Maria who lead an active lifestyle. Everyone is at risk for this silent disease, so it is important to encourage everyone to take their bone, joint, and muscle health seriously. 

That’s why Anlene took their message to the streets, with billboards set up along Metro Manila’s major thoroughfares. Anlene’s campaign also took over the Mall of Asia Globe, depicting a caution tape wrapped around the structure.

Going beyond Anlene’s efforts for World Osteoporosis Day, the brand is set to visit municipalities and workplaces soon to offer free bone scans and nutrition counseling.

Even if life gets busy as we age, it’s important to pause and listen to our bodies. Illnesses like osteoporosis can limit our ability to do the things we love. Thanks to Anlene and these efforts, we are reminded that we should begin protecting our freedom to move as early as our 30s through proper diet, exercise, and nutrition. – Rappler.com