Bone formation – the acquisition of bone mineral density (BMD) – peaks between the ages of 20 and 30.  After the age of 35, both men and women begin to lose bone mass unless they take action to prevent it.  Unfortunately, at that age few of us are thinking about how our health, our longevity, or anything in between.  By the time we begin to think about our bones, we have already suffered serious damage.  It seems hard to believe that this can happen so early in our lives.  Often our conception of age-related bone loss is that of a person of advanced age – seventies or eighties – bent under the burden of the dowager’s hump.

You need to protect your bones from an early age.  If you are in your twenties or thirties, you can take active steps to prevent future problems.  If you are older, take heart because there are exciting new strategies that can make a significant difference now.

Regular exercise is far and away the single most important action we can take to prevent and help reverse bone loss.  Unfortunately, we are raising a generation of couch potatoes and computer/video jockeys who rarely exercise.  If you happen to be a small Caucasian female with a penchant for dieting, the risk of bone loss is even greater.  But there is good news.  According to many studies, a high-intensity exercise program prevents bone loss in early postmenopausal women with low bone density.  So get off the couch and start incorporating exercise into your daily routine, your bones will thank you for it.

What steps do you take to protect your bone health?