Prevention

After the age of about 30, bone thinning is a natural process and cannot be stopped completely. Whether you develop osteoporosis depends not only on the thickness of your bones early in life but also on your health, diet, and physical activity later in life. The thicker your bones, the less likely the bones are to become thin enough to break. Young women in particular need to be aware of their risk for osteoporosis and take steps early to slow its progress and prevent complications.

A lot of physical activity during the preteen and teen years increases bone mass and greatly reduces the risk of osteoporosis in adulthood. If you eat a diet adequate in calcium and vitamin D and exercise regularly early in life and then continue with these healthy habits, you may be able to delay or avoid osteoporosis.

• Eat a nutritious diet that includes adequate amounts of calcium and vitamin D. Both are needed for building healthy, strong bones. Vitamin D is vital for calcium absorption in bones and to improve muscle strength. Getting more vitamin D may help prevent falls in older people who are low in vitamin D.⁶ And some studies show that taking vitamin D may reduce the chances of breaking a bone.⁷ Talk to your doctor about measuring your vitamin D to be sure you are getting enough. The best source of vitamin D is exposure to sunlight. Vitamin D is also added to milk, some calcium supplements, and many multivitamin supplements.
• Get regular exercise. Weight-bearing exercises, such as walking, jogging, stair climbing, dancing, or weight lifting, keep bones healthy by working the muscles and bones against gravity.
• Don't drink more than 2 alcoholic drinks a day if you are a man or more than 1 alcoholic drink a day if you are a woman. Drinking more than this puts you at higher risk for osteoporosis. See pictures of standard alcoholic drinks.
• Don't smoke. Smoking puts you at a higher risk for osteoporosis and increases the rate of bone thinning after it starts.