It’s important to understand how your bones grow and when they start to lose density. Learn more about how specific types of exercise, calcium, vitamin D and bone health checks can help maintain healthy bones.
Bones are living tissues. They are constantly broken down and replaced with new bone tissue in an ongoing cycle. Your bones reach their maximum size and strength (peak bone mass) in your early 20s.
Research shows the higher your peak bone mass, the better protected you are against bone loss, fractures (broken bones) and osteoporosis later in life.
There are many things you can do to maintain bone health.
Staying active is important for general health. There are 3 specific types of exercise that help maintain or build bone strength and reduce bone loss.
This type of exercise involves bearing your own weight and landing firmly. For example, jumping, jogging, skipping, stair climbing or sports such as netball, basketball, dancing and impact aerobics.
Research shows that fast walking for at least 30 minutes a day, 3 or more times a week, can help prevent bone loss in premenopausal women.
Resistance or strength training involves moving your body against some type of resistance, such as dumbbells, resistance bands, other gym equipment or your own body weight (e.g. push-ups or squats).
This type of training strengthens muscles around bones that are more at risk of fracture, such as your hips, wrists and spine.
You can use resistance training to focus on building bone density in certain parts of your body.
Exercise should start at your level of fitness and build in intensity over time. It must be regular to have benefit.
If you have been diagnosed with osteoporosis, or have recovered from a fracture, it’s recommended you work with a physiotherapist or exercise physiologist who can develop an individual program.
A major cause of bone fracture in older women is falls. Research shows that balance training improves balance and mobility and reduces the risk of falls.
Balance training exercises can be done while you’re standing still or moving. For example, standing on one leg, side stepping or doing Tai Chi.
It’s recommended you spend 2 hours a week doing balance exercises.
Learn more about exercise and bone health. Visit the Healthy Bones Australia website.
You can also download Healthy Bones Australia’s Exercise and Bone Density guide (PDF 1MB) to see photos of the exercises.
Calcium and vitamin D are important for bone health.
Calcium helps strengthen your bones. It’s also needed for a healthy heart, muscles, blood and nerves. About 99% of your body’s calcium is found in your bones.
Your body can’t make calcium, so you need to get it from your food. You may need to take calcium supplements if you don’t get enough calcium in your diet. Ask your doctor about the risks and benefits of calcium supplements.
If there’s not enough calcium in your diet, your body will take what it needs from your bones. This can increase your risk of developing osteoporosis.
Calcium needs vary according to age:
Learn more about calcium and bone health. Visit the Healthy Bones Australia website.
You can also read this handy Healthy Bones Australia Calcium Content of Common Foods fact sheet (PDF 500KB) to get the right amount of calcium in your diet.
Vitamin D helps the body absorb and retain calcium, which is important for strong bones and muscles.
Your body produces vitamin D when your skin is exposed to sunlight. But be careful about how much time you spend in the sun. Sun protection is recommended when ultraviolet light (UV) levels reach 3 and above.
Check the Healthy Bones Australia Sunshine Map to learn about recommended sun exposure for vitamin D in different parts of Australia.
Vitamin D3 can also be found in certain foods, such as fatty fish and eggs.
It’s hard to get the right amount of vitamin D from diet alone, so if your vitamin D levels are low, talk to your doctor about taking supplements.
There are different tests to check your bone health.
Bone health checks may involve an assessment of risk factors for osteoporosis, a bone density scan (DXA scan) and blood and urine tests.
Learn more about bone health checks on the health checks page of our website.
Hormones such as oestrogen play a role in maintaining bone strength. During perimenopause and after menopause there is a significant drop in oestrogen. On average, women lose up to 10% of their bone mass in the first five years after menopause.
Women who experience premature or early menopause can start losing their bone density at an earlier age than those who go through menopause in their 50s.
This puts them at greater risk of developing osteoporosis earlier in life.
The best way to take care of your bones after menopause is to:
This content has been reviewed by a group of medical subject matter experts, in accordance with Jean Hailes policy. It has been produced in partnership with Bone Health Australia.
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