In childhood and adolescence, bones gain mass and strength, growing in size and length. Working on building healthy and strong bones from a young age helps reduce the risk of losing bone mass in mature and old age. To promote skeletal health, children and adolescents should enable their bodies to create vitamin D by spending time outdoors in the sunlight, taking care to expose their skin at the right times of day, preferably in the spring and autumn.³ *

Make sure you get the correct calcium intake, exercise regularly, and adopt a healthy lifestyle.

Avoid smoking! Cigarette smoking often starts in adolescence and has a harmful effect on reaching peak bone mass.⁴

Maintain a healthy lifestyle: be sure to adopt a balanced diet providing an adequate intake of calcium and vitamin D.

If you are a smoker, consider quitting. Talk to your doctor if you need help quitting smoking.

Limit alcohol consumption and avoid binge drinking.

Investigate your family history to find out whether you have a genetic risk of developing osteoporosis.

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Stay active! Physical exercise is recognized as a key factor in bone health: exercise, particularly weight-bearing and resistance exercise, improves the fitness of bone microstructure, which plays a role in maintaining skeletal health.⁵

During pregnancy, the growing baby needs plenty of calcium for bone development. Fortunately, pregnancy appears to help protect most women’s calcium reserves in several ways: by enabling more efficient absorption of calcium from food and supplements compared to women who are not pregnant; by producing more estrogen - a hormone that protects bones, and by restoring any bone mass lost during pregnancy within a few months after the baby is born.⁶

Breastfeeding also affects a mother’s bones. Studies show that during breastfeeding women often lose 3 to 5% of their bone mass, although they recover it quickly once they have stopped.⁶

On becoming pregnant, some women may not be used to a diet that is rich in calcium. Talk to your doctor about vitamin & mineral supplements that you may need.⁶

Maintain a healthy weight by taking care over your diet and making time for regular physical exercise.

Be sure to get adequate dietary or supplemental calcium and vitamin D.

Sources of calcium in food: low-fat dairy products, such as milk, yogurt, cheese, and ice cream; dark green, leafy vegetables, such as broccoli, collard greens, and bok choy; canned sardines and salmon with bones; tofu, almonds, and corn tortillas; foods fortified with calcium, such as orange juice, cereals, and bread.

Cut down on caffeine and alcohol.^{7, 8}

Work on maintaining your balance by choosing specific exercises and avoiding falls.

Undertake weight-bearing exercise regularly.

Talk to your doctor about the possibility of taking food supplements and the need for therapies that can be taken during menopause.

Keep active and healthy: mild exercise and a balanced diet should be part of your daily routine.

Talk to your doctor about screening tests for osteoporosis and, if the need be, see medical specialists who treat osteoporosis.

Avoid falls by strengthening your legs and improving your balance skills.

You can consider making your home safer by removing carpets, loose cables, and footstools, and making sure that all your chairs are stable and reliable.