The older you get, the harder it is to maintain bone strength. “We continue to build bone mass until age 30,” says Tina Dreger, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon at Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
Exercise
Just 30 minutes of exercise each day can help strengthen bones and prevent osteoporosis. Weight-bearing exercises, such as yoga, tai chi, and even walking, help the body resist gravity and stimulate bone cells to grow. Strength-training builds muscles which also increases bone strength.
Using the WHO definition of osteoporosis, the prevalence in the US of osteoporosis in Caucasian postmenopausal women based on the lowest bone mass at any site is estimated to be 14% of women aged 50-59 years, 22% of women aged 60-69 years, 39% women aged 70-79 years, and 70% women aged 80 years or greater(ref 3).
Everyone's risk for osteoporosis fractures increases with age. However, women over the age of 50 or postmenopausal women have the greatest risk of developing osteoporosis.
While it's important to build strong and healthy bones during childhood and adolescence, you can take steps during adulthood to protect bone health, too.
Most people will reach their peak bone mass between the ages of 25 and 30. By the time we reach age 40, we slowly begin to lose bone mass.
While you can never regain the bone density you had in your youth, you can help prevent rapidly thinning bones, even after your diagnosis.
Osteoporosis is not a terminal illness and does not directly influence life expectancy.
If you already have osteoporosis, keep in mind that vitamin D and calcium alone are not enough to treat the disease. You'll need to take them along with other medications your doctor prescribes.
Bone loss begins to occur at an approximate rate of 0.25% a year and is variable depending on many genetic and environmental factors. This may be considered the second stage towards osteopenia and/or osteoporosis. It is important to understand that this is a perfectly normal part of the aging process.
Weight-bearing aerobic activities
Examples include walking, dancing, low-impact aerobics, elliptical training machines, stair climbing and gardening. These types of exercise work directly on the bones in your legs, hips and lower spine to slow mineral loss.
The older you get, the harder it is to maintain bone strength. “We continue to build bone mass until age 30,” says Tina Dreger, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon at Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. “After age 30, we break down more bone than we rebuild.”
Daily suggested calcium intake for adults
Adult men 51-70 years: 1,000 mg. Adult women 51-70 years: 1,200 mg. Adults 71 years and older: 1,200 mg. Pregnant and breastfeeding teens: 1,300 mg.
Eat Calcium and Vitamin D Rich Foods
“By eating the right combination of calcium and vitamin D rich foods, we can boost our immune system and protect our bones,” Weatherford says. “Many foods are now fortified in calcium and vitamin D, making it easier to meet our daily recommended intake.”
Regular exercise
Adults aged 19 to 64 should do at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as cycling or fast walking, every week. Weight-bearing exercise and resistance exercise are particularly important for improving bone density and helping to prevent osteoporosis.
There is no cure for osteoporosis, but treatment can help to slow or stop the loss of bone density and reduce the risk of fractures. This may involve medications, diet changes, exercise, and steps to prevent fracturing a bone.
You can prevent bone loss with regular exercise, such as walking. If you have osteoporosis or fragile bones, regular brisk walking can help to keep your bones strong and reduce the risk of a fracture in the future.
Simply walking in your neighborhood three times per week for a total of 150 minutes is great weight-bearing exercise for your legs, hips, and spine, and the activity slows mineral loss. Walking on an elliptical machine, biking, or low-impact aerobic exercise are other options.
Collagen plays an important part in bone mass. Collagen supplementation may help improve bone mass density and slow osteoporosis. Collagen is a protein found throughout the body.
Examples include walking, climbing stairs, playing tennis, and dancing. Higher-impact activities strengthen bone more than lower-impact exercises, but only do what your fitness level allows. Muscle-strengthening exercises use weights or your body's own resistance to work against gravity.