As we get older, our bones get weaker. What can we do to prevent it?

How strong are your bones and how do we protect them?

As we get older, our bones get weaker. What can we do to prevent that?

FOX 2 - As we get older, our bones get weaker. What can we do to prevent that? 

About 50 million people in the US  have osteoporosis, which is a condition that weakens bones and puts a person at risk for injury.

What you can do:

It's more common in women and people over 50, but the good news is that it is largely preventable, says Dr. Deborah Benzil of Cleveland Clinic.

"Once you've sustained a fracture related to osteoporosis, your chances of having a second one are 10 times higher," the doctor said. "And even with all the advances of medications that we have these days, it's really hard to
reverse the process. You can stabilize it and get a little bit of the bone strength back, but you really, you know, prevention really is the key in this disease."

She says when it comes to preventing osteoporosis, exercise plays a big role. And it doesn’t have to be anything too major.

There are plenty of activities you can do this summer to stay active and help with bone strength.

Some ideas include gardening, going for a walk, playing catch with your kids or grandkids, swimming, or even walking in the pool.

Benzil says you could also walk up and down the aisles at the grocery store or do some laps at the mall.

"With osteoporosis, the exercises that we need are what we call weight-bearing exercises," she said. "So,
while it's great to do exercises when you're on your back or sitting in a chair, they can build strength, but they're not going to be helping with bone health and bone strength.

"So, what we really need to do are things where you are actually creating a little bit of trauma, a little bit of pressure on your legs so that you can promote bone strength."

When you put a little stress on the bones - it forces your body to build new cells, or bone tissue, making them denser and stronger.

So nutrition and exercise are also great ways to build strong bones.  If you're worried about osteoporosis, there is a scan that can check on your bone density.