It is especially important to ensure that the diet is rich in calcium. Calcium is the most abundant mineral found in bones and helps to give them strength and rigidity and is found a variety of products including cheese, yogurt, green leafy vegetables and baked beans. Bones, like muscles and other parts of the body, suffer if they are not used. They need regular weight-bearing exercise that exerts a loading impact and stretches and contracts the muscles, stimulating bone to strengthen. Good bone building exercise includes running, skipping, aerobics, tennis and weight-training.
Smoking has a toxic effect on bone in men and women.
It can cause women to have an earlier menopause and may increase the risk of hip fracture in later life. Stopping smoking will benefit bones and general health and fitness. Drinking too much alcohol is damaging to bone turnover. Alcohol intake should be limited to a maximum of 28 units per week for men and 21 units for women. The moderate intake of one or two glasses of wine a day may have beneficial effects on the skeleton as well as the heart.