How to Keep Your Bones Strong As You Age

Once we hit our 30s, our bones start breaking down faster than our bodies can replace them. For this reason, we must become mindful of bone loss while we’re still young.

At Primary Care Walk-In Medical Clinic, our skilled medical team provides preventive health services to lower your risk for age-related bone loss. 

We also offer comprehensive geriatric medicine to address complications like osteoporosis and fractures that become more common with aging.

What to know about bone loss

Bone is a living tissue that regularly breaks down and is built back up. By age 30, your bone mass stops increasing because your body can’t replace it fast enough.

The inside of your bone has hollow spaces that look like a bee’s honeycomb. As you get older and lose bone density, the in-between spaces become larger, and your bones become thinner.

The thinning of your bones makes them weak and brittle. Weak, brittle bones are susceptible to painful fractures and may ultimately affect your ability to remain mobile.

Causes of bone loss

In addition to aging, premature bone loss can occur because of:

• Smoking
• Small body frame
• Family history of osteoporosis
• Nutritional deficiencies
• Use of certain medications
• Early menopause in women

The good news is there are things you can do right now regardless of your age to keep your bones healthy and strong.

5 ways you can protect your bone health

As you reach your 30s, you should work with our physicians on a bone loss prevention plan to keep your remaining bones as healthy as possible.

Here are five tips for preserving your bone density and reducing your risk for premature bone loss complications:

1. Consider supplemental calcium

Your bones act as a storage container for most of the calcium in your body. Calcium is a mineral that supports bone health and plays an essential role in forming new bones.

Without enough calcium, your bones become weak, so you should consider taking supplements to ensure you get at least 200 milligrams per day. You also need to get enough vitamin D (800 milligrams) in your diet and through supplements because the vitamin assists your body with calcium absorption.

2. Exercise daily

Certain exercises can slow down the progression of bone loss as you age. You should get at least 30 minutes of exercise every day to stay in good overall health.

Weight-bearing and resistance exercises are especially helpful for keeping bones strong and healthy. Try to regularly engage in activities, such as walking, weight training, jogging, dancing, tennis, and other sports.

3. Quit smoking

Smoking affects your body’s ability to absorb calcium, which can weaken your bones. Nicotine found in cigarettes and vapes also interfere with bone cell production.

If you find it hard to quit smoking, our team can provide resources that help you quit for good.

4. Limit alcohol use

Drinking too much alcohol can speed up bone loss. Having more than one or two drinks per day can increase your risk of osteoporosis complications.

Excessive alcohol use can also lead to poor nutrition, lack of exercise, and other risk factors for premature bone loss. If you plan to drink, be mindful of how much you consume.

5. Maintain a healthy weight

Too much weight on your bones can lower bone mineral density. While you should already be exercising daily to protect your bones, you also need to pay attention to what you’re eating.

Following a healthy diet has many health benefits and it's also an essential part of your long-term bone health. Our providers can help you create a diet plan to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight.

To learn more about ways you can preserve your bone health, call the Primary Care Walk-In Medical Clinic near you to schedule an appointment or book a consultation online today.