Make a Lifestyle Change

Bone health is determined by many factors, including your experience as a child, teenager, and young adult. Even if you can’t turn back the clock on those influences, you can make changes in your life today that will make a meaningful difference in setting your bone health on the right path.

Quit smoking

Smoking interferes with normal bone cell function, prevents normal calcium absorption and can prevent estrogen from helping build and maintain bone density as it normally should. Check out Smokefree.gov for help quitting.

Reduce alcohol consumption

More than two drinks per day can affect the body’s calcium supply, which impedes its ability to build bone. Alcohol also impairs bone health by reducing the body’s ability to repair and turn over bone tissue.

Increase your activity

A sedentary lifestyle is a major modifiable risk factor for bone health issues. Experts recommend a minimum of 30 minutes per day of weight bearing activity to preserve bone health. Weight bearing activities include walking, hiking and stair climbing. While walking is a weight bearing activity that can help maintain healthy bones, studies suggest that osteogenic loading activities can even build more bone density.