6 Smart Steps to Bone Health

Although osteoporosis might not sound nearly as scary as cancer or heart disease, it is a serious health condition, especially as we grow older. Loss of bone mass in later years means than bones are thinner and likelier to break in a fall. Depending on how serious the damage is, a woman who falls can suffer a fracture of a hip or other vital body part, as well as traumatic brain injury. Falls have also been linked to loss of independence. But there are several things you can do to maintain your bone health. Here, from the Mayo Clinic, are the experts’ best suggestions:

Include the Recommended Amount of Calcium in Your Diet Calcium is essential for good bone health. You can get calcium from dietary sources like kale, almonds, low-fat dairy products, sardines, and fortified milk. The recommended RDA for women over 50 is 1,200 mg a day. Talk to your doctor about whether you are getting enough calcium from your food, and whether you need a supplement. Your physician can recommend the best way for you to get adequate calcium. One important note: When it comes to calcium, more isn’t necessarily better.

Get Enough Vitamin D Vitamin D helps your body to absorb calcium, so it’s essential. Until age 70, the daily dose is 600 IU a day, while it rises to 800 IU daily for age 71 or older. You can get vitamin D from a supplement or from exposure to sunlight. Check with your doctor about how much sunlight is good for you (it varies according to skin color and time of day.)

Get the Right Kind of Exercise Focus on weight-bearing exercise – i.e. any physical activity you perform on your feet while working your bones against gravity. Some weight-bearing exercises include walking, hiking, jogging and tennis. (Swimming and bicycling, while they have other health benefits, are not weight-bearing exercises.)

Avoid Bad Habits Tobacco smoking weakens bones, while having more than two drinks per day has the same effect. People who are anorexic or bulimic also are at increased risk of bone loss.

Ask About Interactions Some illnesses – Crohn’s , Cushing’s and celiac disease – can affect the body’s absorption of calcium. In addition, several classes of medicine may damage bones. These include corticosteroid medications - prednisone, cortisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone – used over a long time. Other drugs may up osteoporosis risk as well, including aromatase inhibitors to treat breast cancer, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (a class of antidepressants), methotrexate, some anti-seizure medications and proton pump inhibitors.

Enlist Your Doctor's Help Since there are a number of ongoing studies about calcium and vitamin D, it’s important to get the latest information from your doctor. Depending on your health, he or she can recommend specific exercises and talk with you about your medications. Preventing bone loss isn’t necessarily made up of one-size-fits-all recommendations, and the more individualized the advice you get, the likelier you are to get the better of your bones.