Did you know that exercise is key to maintaining strong bones as you age? It is.

The Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation is focusing on exercise this month as it marks the annual Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month.

“Exercising to help achieve good bone health can and should be a family priority and continue throughout one’s lifetime,” said Claire Gill, the organization’s CEO. “There are so many things that people can do each day to strengthen our bones. It is our hope that Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month helps to inspire people to make exercise an important part of their daily routine. We want everyone to work toward the realistic goal of living active, vigorous and rewarding lives.”

Regular exercise and a good diet with appropriate amounts of calcium and vitamin D are key.. It is important to know that exercise -- which can include everything from jumping jacks to jogging, from lifting weights to playing tennis – can make a major impact in achieving strong, healthy bones.

In the UK, half of women over 50 and a fifth of men over 50 will break a bone because of the ailment. In the US, some 10 million people over have it, with another 44 million having low bone density, placing them at an increased risk for bone fractures.

Bone fractures related to osteoporosis send more people to the hospital heart attacks, strokes, and breast cancer combined. But, regular weight-bearing and muscle-strengthening exercises have been proven to build and maintain bone density for women and men.

See your doctor about your nutritional needs.

And let’s get you started here with safe, fun and effective exercise!