Bone density seems to be that thing we only think about when we hit 50 and menopause and usually, it’s the doctor that has to breach the subject.  As women, we love to live in denial! The truth is, our bones start losing density way before menopause. Your skeleton is where minerals and vitamins are stored for your tissue and organs.  We typically reach our optimum bone mass by age 25 or 30.  From there, it’s all downhill!  Just kidding!  But, by age 40 depending on some factors like genetics, diet, and lifestyle, your bone mass begins declining.  Exercise and good nutrition can help slow this process down and even strengthen our bones. Why should you care about bone density before it becomes a problem?  Well, why wait until you have a big problem on your hands?  I mean that quite literally!  Often times, the first fracture to show up in a patient with declining bone mass or osteoporosis is a wrist fracture.   Wrist fractures often lead a doctor to taking a closer look at the bone density of their patient. Start taking care of your bones now, no matter how old you are!

• Get plenty of exercise and include weight bearing exercises
• Eat a well-balanced diet.  Make sure your Calcium and Vitamin D intake is adequate.
• Get regular checkups and talk to your physician about when to start bone density screenings.
• Avoid smoking and limit alcohol consumption

It takes 18-24 months before you will begin seeing improvements to your bone density after starting medication.  That’s a long time to live with fragile bones.  Taking simple steps now, to protect our skeleton, will pay off in the long run and you can avoid fragile fractures and pain.