Protecting Bone Health Before It Breaks
Bone mass peaks by your early 30s and naturally declines afterward.
A 30-minute brisk walk daily can reduce your fracture risk by nearly half.
Smokers and heavy drinkers face twice the risk of fractures compared to non-smokers.
A simple DEXA scan can detect bone loss long before a fracture occurs.
Every year, millions of people experience fractures related to poor bone health, vitamin D deficiency, or age-related bone loss. The good news? Most are preventable.
By maintaining nutrition, movement, and screening, you can preserve bone density and reduce your risk of injury. Prevention also helps:
Your everyday habits decide how strong your bones stay. A balanced diet rich in calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, and protein supports bone growth and repair. In contrast, smoking, alcohol, and poor diet weaken bone quality and slow recovery.
Include calcium-rich foods (like ragi, dairy, and leafy greens), get 15–20 minutes of sunlight several times a week, and limit caffeine and alcohol. Even small lifestyle adjustments can make your bones more resilient over time.
Learn More About Bone-Healthy Diet
Bones grow stronger when they're put to work. Weight-bearing and resistance exercises stimulate bone remodelling, your body's natural process of renewing bone tissue.
Walking, stair climbing, yoga, or light strength training improve bone density and balance, helping prevent falls that lead to fractures.
Low-impact weight-bearing exercises
Improves balance and flexibility
Builds bone density and muscle support
Strong bones don't always show on the outside. A bone density test (DEXA scan) measures bone strength and detects osteoporosis early, before symptoms appear.
Regular testing is especially important for women over 40, men over 50, and anyone with risk factors like family history, thyroid imbalance, or steroid use. Routine screening helps track bone health and tailor preventive treatment.
Identify bone loss before fractures occur
Tailor prevention strategies to your needs
Monitor the effectiveness of prevention efforts
Hormonal changes during menopause increase bone loss, raising fracture risk. Simple habits, nutritious meals, sunlight, weight-bearing exercise, and regular scans, can help offset this decline and maintain bone density.
Learning to adapt lifestyle and nutrition during this phase is key to staying strong and active.
Increase dietary calcium to 1200mg daily
Ensure adequate sunlight exposure
Weight-bearing activities 4-5 times weekly
Two everyday habits, smoking and excess alcohol, silently weaken bones. Smoking interferes with calcium absorption and blood flow, while alcohol slows bone formation and impairs balance. Cutting down or quitting entirely is one of the simplest, most effective steps to improve bone health.
| Pillar | What It Does | How to Maintain It |
|---|---|---|
| Nutrition & Lifestyle | Builds and preserves bone strength | Eat calcium-rich foods, avoid smoking/alcohol, and ensure sunlight exposure |
| Exercise & Movement | Stimulates bone growth and improves balance | Include daily weight-bearing and resistance activities |
| Screening & Awareness | Detects silent bone loss early | Get regular DEXA scans through your local clinic |
Yes. A nutrient-rich diet, consistent activity, and healthy body weight reduce fracture risk by improving bone density and balance.
Doctors recommend the first scan after 40 (for women) or 50 (for men), earlier if you have risk factors like chronic illness or family history of osteoporosis.
Not necessarily. With the right nutrition, weight-bearing exercise, and regular monitoring, many women maintain excellent bone health even after menopause.
About 15–20 minutes of sunlight on arms and legs, three to four times weekly, is usually sufficient for most adults in India.