Simple hack to keep your bones healthy regardless of age

Osteoporosis (“porous bones”) is by far the most common bone disease, marked by an increased risk of bone fracturesOpens a New Window. due to weak or thin bones. Although it’s often equated with postmenopausal women, men aren’t safe from osteoporosis. Approximately 4 percent of men over 50 years of age have the bone disease, and 38 percent of men in that age group have a condition called low bone mass (often a precursor to osteoporosis), according to a report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Osteoporosis and bone fractures don’t have to be a part of the aging processOpens a New Window., though. They can usually be prevented with certain lifestyle changes.

EXERCISE!

Regular exercise is crucial to a healthy life, but when it comes to your bones, not all exercise is created equal. For strong bones, experts recommendOpens a New Window. weight-bearing exercises and muscle-strengthening exercises.

“Anything you do on your feet—walking, running, jumping, skiing, calisthenics—is good for bone health,” Lewiecki says. On the other hand, non-impact exercises aren’t effective for building strong bones. “Swimming is great for the cardiovascular system, but it doesn’t help much,” Rizzoli says.

Why does exercise help make strong bones? Bones are living tissues that are constantly changing; some cells add calcium to bones, while other cells remove the mineral from bones. When you stress your bones through physical activity, the cells increase the rate of calcium addition, causing the bones to grow denser.