What are some everyday precautions you take to protect your bones?

Wearing proper protective equipment when playing sportsdrinking milk and eating other dairy products being active

1. Perform weight-bearing exercises. Some examples are walking, hiking, jogging, stair climbing, tennis, and dancing. It forces you to work against gravity arethe best for building bone and strengthening muscles.

2. Be sure to get calcium and vitamin D in your diet. Calcium is needed tobuild new bone and to make sure your heart, muscles, and nerves work as theyshould. You also need vitamin D to absorb calcium from your gastrointestinaltract. Good sources of calcium include broccoli, spinach, sardines, salmon, tofu, and calcium-fortified cereals. Good sources of vitamin D (other thansunshine) include fatty fish and fish oils as well as milk, cereal, and otherfoods that are fortified with vitamin D. These two are essential to bonehealth, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletaland Skin Diseases.