Your genes determine the potential height and strength of your skeleton. However, lifestyle factors, such as fasting diet and exercise, can influence how healthy your bones are and the rate at which they repair themselves. Following a healthy lifestyle throughout life is the best way to delay the onset of osteoporosis, and slow the rate at which your bones become brittle.

Regular exercise is essential. Try to do at least 30 minutes of exercise three times a week. Two types of exercise are particularly important in improving bone density and helping prevent osteoporosis – weight bearing exercise and resistance exercise.

Weight bearing exercises are those where your feet and legs are supporting your own weight. For younger people, high-impact weight bearing exercises are best. Jogging, skipping, dancing, aerobics and even simply jumping up and down on the spot all provide a useful jolt to your hips and spine that helps strengthen them.

For older people, milder forms of weight bearing exercise should be sufficient and safe, such as brisk walking, keep fit classes, climbing an average staircase 10 times a day, or a mild game of tennis. Swimming and cycling are not weight bearing exercises.

Resistance exercises are those that use muscle strength, where the action of the tendons pulling on the bones seems to boost bone strength. Examples include press ups, weight lifting, or using weight equipment at a gym. They also include simpler exercise such as repeatedly lifting a tin of food as this can help strengthen the bones in the wrist.

Other lifestyle factors that can help prevent osteoporosis include:

*Healthy eating tips that contains plenty of calcium – at least 1,000 mg per day,
*Quit smoking - cigarette smoking is associated with increased risk of osteoporosis, and
*Limiting the amount of alcohol you drink. Recommended limits are 21 units per week for men and 14 units for women.

Older people with brittle bones can do things to reduce the risk of fracturing or breaking a bone. Its a good idea to check your home for hazards that you may trip over, such as trailing wires, and to make sure you have regular sight and hearing tests. Some older people wear special protectors over their hips to cushion any fall.