What you can do to prevent osteoporosis

Osteoporosis causes bones to become thin and brittle. Pay special attention if you're over 50, have a family history of osteoporosis or are a woman who has gone through menopause. Here are some ways to protect yourself.

• Squats are particularly beneficial for your hips, which are especially prone to fracture.
• Slowly lower yourself into an imaginary chair and stop when your thighs are parallel to the floor. Don't let your knees extend beyond your toes.

• It's one of the best all-around exercises for building bone.
• Some skipping ropes measure not only the number of jumps you complete, but how many calories you burn.
• Be careful when you start, though. This exercise requires coordination, and if your bones already happen to be thin, the last thing you want to do is fall.

You need 15 minutes of sun exposure, without sunscreen, for your body to make vitamin D for bone health.

Calcium citrate, for instance, is more expensive, but can be absorbed on an empty stomach. Calcium carbonate, the cheapest and most common supplement, is absorbed best with food, particularly acidic foods such as citrus juice or fruit.

You'll sleep much better without ambient light, and sleep is important for bone. Much of your old bone is replaced by new during sleep.

Menopausal women who walked 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) — about 30 minutes — a week took four to seven years longer to lose the same amount of bone as women who didn't walk at all. Hit the road!

In studies, tai chi cut the risk of falling by nearly half and reduced the rate of fractures even in people who had falls. Practise 10 to 15 minutes at a time, once or twice a week, to gain the benefits.