Health News Share Email Print Make healthy bones a family affair The bone disease osteoporosis primarily affects older adults. But prevention of it begins in childhood, when bones become dense and strong. These tips can help young and old alike have healthier bones. 5 bone-building tips Enjoy calcium every day. Good sources include low-fat and nonfat dairy products, leafy greens, and fortified foods. Get vitamin D. This is a must-have vitamin for the body to absorb calcium. Ask your doctor if you need to take a supplement. Eat a well-balanced diet. Make foods such as fish, fruits and vegetables a regular part of your menu. Exercise often. Go for weight-bearing activities like walking and muscle-strengthening exercises like lifting weights. Don't smoke. Smoking raises the risk of osteoporosis. Reviewed 9/21/2023 Sources Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation. "Exercise/Safe Movement." https://www.bonehealthandosteoporosis.org/patients/treatment/exercisesafe-movement/. Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation. "Food and Your Bones - Osteoporosis Nutrition Guidelines." https://www.bonehealthandosteoporosis.org/patients/treatment/nutrition/. Office on Women's Health. "Osteoporosis." https://www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/osteoporosis. OrthoInfo. "Calcium, Nutrition, and Bone Health." https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/staying-healthy/calcium-nutrition-and-bone-health/. Related stories Health information main Health tools go Select a health topic ADHD Aging Alcohol use disorder Allergies Alternative medicine Alzheimer's disease Arthritis Asthma Babies Backs Bladder Bones Brain Breast cancer Cancer Cancer prevention Caregiving Cervical cancer Children and parenting Cholesterol Colds Colorectal cancer Coronavirus Dental care Depression Diabetes Disaster preparedness Down syndrome Ears Eating disorders Emergencies End of life/Palliative care Environmental health Epilepsy Eyes Fall prevention Family and relationships Feet Fitness and exercise Flu Food safety Hair Headache Health assessments Health calculators Healthcare Heart attack Heart health Hepatitis Hernia High blood pressure Hips HIV/AIDS Holiday health Hormones Imaging Incontinence Joints Kidneys Knees Leukemia Liver Lung cancer Lungs Medications Men's health Menopause Mental health Multiple sclerosis Nails Nose Nutrition Obesity Oral cancer Ovaries Pain Parkinson's disease Pets Pneumonia Pregnancy Prostate cancer Rehabilitation Reproductive health Safety School health Sexuality Sexually transmitted infections Skin Skin cancer Sleep Smoking Sports injuries Stomach pain Stress and anxiety Stroke Substance use disorder Summer safety Surgery Teen health Throat Thyroid Travel Vaccines Vascular health Violence Vitamins and supplements Weight management Winter health Women's health Workplace health Wound care i Providers Family Medicine Internal Medicine Orthopedics Orthopedic Surgery Orthopedic Spinal Surgery Spinal Surgery i Services Rehabilitation RSS If you have questions or comments, please contact Randolph Health. Problems reading or opening a page? Legal restrictions and terms of use applicable to this site.