When getting healthy, many of us focus on weight, building muscle, and staying heart healthy, but give little thought to bone health until we’re older.  According to information from the National Osteoporosis Foundation posted on the NIH’s website (www.osteo.org), here are just a few of the following factors that can put you at increased risk for osteoporosis:

• Current low bone mass.
• History of fracture in a close relative.
• Being female.
• Being thin and/or having a small frame.
• History of fracture after age 50.
• A family history of osteoporosis.
• Low lifetime calcium intake.
• Vitamin D deficiency.
• History of fracture after age 50.
• Advanced age.

If any of these factors apply to you, it’s never too early to start improving your bone health.  Talk to your doctor to find out your bone mass and assess your risk.  It’s easy to add a calcium supplement and dairy products to your daily routine, but don’t just stick to these tried and true ways to build calcium.  Seek out other calcium-rich vegetables like watercress and broccoli, and calcium-rich foods like canned salmon and sardines.  Be good to your bones now, and they’ll take care of you for the decades to come.

What do you do to keep your bones healthy?