Exercise also is essential for building bone in youth and preventing bone loss with age.
Vitamin D also is important because it aids the absorption of calcium, notes Nelson, who says good sources of vitamin D are fortified dairy products and 15 minutes of exposure to sunlight daily. However, the skin can't manufacture Vitamin D in people wearing sunscreen or during winter months in latitudes above 42 degrees north, such as Boston or Milwaukee. Weight-bearing activities are those in which you work your bones and muscles against gravity. Walking, stair climbing, dancing, running and racket sports are all weight-bearing activities with differing degrees of impact. In general, the higher the impact, the more the activity strengthens bones.