BOOST YOUR BONE HEALTH in one month

What you should be doing right now to age-proof your skeleton

- TANYA PEAREY

Brittle or weak bones aren't something we just have to accept as we get older. 'We do stop building bone, but there's plenty we can do to keep what we have strong and healthy,' says Woman's Weekly GP Dr Gill Jenkins. Act now and you can help slow the decline. Make time to introduce these tips into your life week-by-week and, by the end of the month, your bones will thank you for it.

WEEK ONE

Introduce bone-strengthening exercise

WHY Regular weight-bearing and resistance activity is needed to keep your bones strong. That's because bone is living tissue that gets stronger when it's used.

HOW TO DO IT Any exercise with impact is particularly beneficial for your bones.

* Think jogging, brisk walking, skipping, hopping and racket sports.

* Activities such as swimming and cycling may be good for cardiovascular fitness but are not great bone builders.

*Strengthening exercises are also important to keep muscles strong so that they pull against bone and help it renew and strengthen. 'We naturally lose muscle mass as we age,' says physio Matthew Piff*. 'But studies have shown that even into our 80s we can still build muscle mass with the right kind of exercise.' Two sessions of resistance training a week using body weight, fixed or free weights, or resistance bands will help.

* And make sure you're not sitting still for long periods each day - move regularly to trigger healthy bone turnover, and supporting muscles..

RECENT BONE BREAK?