Posted on 19 August 2022

7 ways to improve bone density

Our bone density peaks in our late 20s and early 30s, after which it starts to fall. We all know that we need to get plenty of calcium and vitamin D, but what else do we need to do?

Learning that you’re losing bone density can be scary, but there are things that we can all do to strengthen our bones.

Here are 7 ways that you can help increase bone density.

1. Eat a healthy diet

Yep, the best thing you can do for your bones is to eat a healthy diet. You need to ensure that you’re getting a varied diet with lots of protein, leafy green vegetables, and oily fish (for essential Omega 3).

We’re not going to run through everything you need to eat, but a healthy diet high in protein, fruit, vegetables, and some dairy (for that crucial calcium) is best for your bones.

Talking of calcium, research suggests that you should be taking calcium throughout the day rather than one big hit. You can get calcium from milk, yoghurt, other dairy products, and fortified foods that have calcium added.

2. Maintain a healthy weight

Underweight people are at greater risk of experiencing bone issues. But that’s not an excuse to pile on the pounds, as too much weight can stress your bones, say experts.

Keep your weight within a healthy BMI range, and your bones will thank you.

3. Get some sunshine

Vitamin D isn’t called the sunshine vitamin for no reason. Our bodies transform the sun’s rays into vitamin D, which helps our bodies and bones absorb calcium.

During the summer, it’s easy to get the vitamin D we need, but between October to March, the NHS recommends we all take a supplement for a natural bone boost.

4. Exercise more

It may seem strange, but working your body, muscles, and bones can help strengthen them. For example, studies have found that weight-bearing exercises are best for strengthening bones.

While walking and other low-impact exercises are great for overall health and wellbeing, you need to expose your bones to “mechanical loading” that’s higher than usual.

Resistance exercise “may be the most optimal strategy to improve the muscle and bone mass in postmenopausal women, middle-aged men, or even the older population,” say experts.

Before you grab the weights or hit the gym, you must have a chat with your doctor. Everyone should get medical advice before they start an exercise regime.

5. Get the vitamins you need

A healthy diet is great for helping you get vitamins and minerals and maintain a healthy weight. But, if you’re worried about your bones, you’ll need to ensure you’re getting the vitamins and minerals you need – and for many of us, that means taking a supplement.

Supplements provide a guaranteed dose of bone-building essentials, including calcium, vitamin D, vitamin K, magnesium, and more.

6. Stop smoking

Smoking isn’t just damaging your lungs; it can hurt your bones as well. Smoking reduces the supply of blood to the bones, which can affect tissue growth. Even worse, nicotine slows down the cells that build bone.

Smoking is a bad idea for thousands of reasons, including being bad for your bones so stub it out.

7. Cut down on drinking

Alcohol inhibits the body’s ability to absorb both calcium and vitamin D – and the more you drink, the worse it is.

While you don’t have to stop drinking completely, it’s worth cutting down as much as you can. The NHS recommends we all drink no more than 15 units a week. We should avoid binge drinking and spread our drinking over the week, with at least a few alcohol-free days.

Start building stronger bones today!

There’s no better time to start building stronger bones than today. Whatever your age, ability or current diet, weight, and lifestyle, we can all do more to help our bones.

We’re doing our bit at Stronger Bones by providing everyone with the best bone health supplements at the lowest prices.

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