1. Walk for Health
If you experience a bone fracture or find your physical limits shifting during your sixties, don't abandon exercise altogether. Even if osteoporosis has already set in, you still need to work your bones, and the muscles that move them, while you are healthy enough to do so. If you risk injury from the high-impact sports you love, such as golf, bowling or tennis, now is the time to ease into lower-impact, weight-bearing activity. Dance, stair-stepping and aerobics are possibilities. Walking, however, can be enjoyed by virtually anyone. If you know you need more exercise but keep putting it off, get a partner or form a local group with whom to walk. You may want to walk in a park or at a nature preserve. The added motivation of interesting scenery and good company might keep you walking for longer.
2. Test Your Bones for Bone-Tissue Loss
Fractures and subsequent X-rays often reveal that a person's bone density has been compromised. If you feel healthy on the surface but fear that you may have bone-tissue loss, it is best to have a test before any more time passes. You can find out whether you have osteoporosis before suffering a painful broken bone, and let your doctor suggest maintenance treatment. A quick bone-density scan does not hurt and should be covered.
3. Supplement Your Diet
As your body's ability to store and use calcium and other nutrients lessens, you'll need to ingest more of them. Doctors recommend up to 1,500 mg of calcium and about 800 IU of vitamin D each day. Increase leafy greens in your diet, such as broccoli, kale and collard. Eat more almonds, salmon or low-fat dairy products. Take a multivitamin or extra calcium/vitamin D tablets to maintain the right amount of minerals and vitamins for bone health.
