Bone Health – How to Keep Your Bones Strong as You Age
Bone strength changes as we age, particularly after menopause and in the later decades of life. While some bone loss is part of ageing, lifestyle, medical conditions and certain medicines can all affect how quickly it happens and how much fracture risk increases.
Understanding how calcium, vitamin D, exercise and individual risk factors relate to bone health can support informed health decisions about your long-term bone health. This guide explains what matters, who should consider bone-density assessment, and when a GP conversation is worthwhile.
Key Takeaways
- Bone density generally decreases with age, but individual risk varies considerably
- Calcium, vitamin D and protein all contribute to bone health
- Weight-bearing, resistance and balance exercise each serve a different purpose
- Not everyone needs calcium or vitamin D supplements
- A previous fracture after minor trauma or other risk factors should be discussed with a GP
What Happens to Your Bones as You Age?
Bone is living tissue that is continuously broken down and rebuilt. With age, the rate of breakdown can outpace rebuilding, leading to a gradual reduction in bone density. For women, this process can accelerate significantly after menopause because falling oestrogen levels affect how well bone is maintained.
Men also lose bone density with age and can develop osteoporosis, though the pattern is often slower. “Bone loss” itself is broad, whereas osteoporosis has a clearer evidence-based clinical statement, which is why understanding risk factors matters.
What Can Increase Your Risk of Poor Bone Health?
Some factors that raise fracture risk cannot easily be changed. These include increasing age, a family history of osteoporosis or hip fracture, early menopause or low testosterone, where clinically relevant, a previous fracture after minor trauma, and some chronic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, coeliac disease, diabetes, chronic kidney disease or overactive thyroid or parathyroid conditions.
Other risk factors may be influenced through lifestyle choices:
- Smoking
- Excess alcohol consumption
- Low physical activity
- Inadequate calcium or protein intake
- Low vitamin D levels
- Recurrent falls
- Low body weight
Long-term corticosteroid use is also a significant and sometimes underappreciated risk factor that warrants discussion with a GP.
Which Nutrients Matter Most for Bone Health?
Calcium, vitamin D and protein all play roles in maintaining bone strength.
| Nutrient | Why it matters | Practical sources |
| Calcium | Main mineral supporting bone structure | Dairy, calcium-fortified alternatives, calcium-set tofu, fish with edible bones |
| Vitamin D | Helps the body absorb calcium effectively | Sun exposure, and smaller amounts from eggs and some fish |
| Protein | Supports bone and muscle strength | Dairy, eggs, fish, meat, tofu, legumes |
Calcium requirements change with age. Healthy Bones Australia recommends around 1,000 mg of calcium daily for most adults, increasing to around 1,300 mg for women over 50 and men over 70, according to Healthy Bones Australia.
For broader Australian guidance on diet, vitamin D and bone health across the lifespan, Healthdirect’s Healthy Bones resource is a useful starting point. This is the only external link included in the body of this article.
Do You Need Calcium or Vitamin D Supplements?
Not everyone needs calcium or vitamin D supplements. Food-first calcium is generally preferred, and Supplements may be appropriate when calcium intake is inadequate, vitamin D deficiency is identified, or individual clinical circumstances warrant them.
The current Australian osteoporosis guideline notes that routine supplementation provides little short-term fracture-reduction benefit in healthy, non-institutionalised adults who are not deficient. A GP can help assess whether supplementation makes sense for your individual situation rather than applying a one-size approach.
What Exercise Helps Keep Bones Strong?
Different types of exercise support bone health in different ways, and each type has a distinct role.
Weight-bearing activity includes brisk walking, dancing, climbing stairs and other activities done on your feet against gravity. These place load on bones and help maintain density.
Resistance training uses weights, resistance bands or body-weight exercises to build muscle strength and apply mechanical stress to bones, which supports bone maintenance over time.
Balance-focused exercise, such as appropriately selected tai chi or targeted balance exercises, can help improve balance and may reduce falls risk, which is increasingly important as age increases.
Healthy Bones Australia recommends a combination of weight-bearing, resistance and balance exercise to support bone health and reduce falls risk. Exercise should be adapted where someone has a previous fracture, significant balance concerns or other health conditions. A physiotherapist or exercise physiologist can advise on appropriate activity.
Why Does Falls Prevention Matter for Bone Health?
Strong bones reduce one part of fracture risk. Reducing falls addresses another. For older adults, these two goals work together.
Falls risk can be reduced through:
- Building muscle strength and improving balance
- Regular vision checks
- Appropriate footwear
- Reviewing medicines that may affect balance or cause dizziness
- Reducing home hazards such as loose rugs and poor lighting
Cameron Park Healthcare provides aged-care and general medical services where older adults can discuss falls, mobility and other health concerns with a GP.
When Should You Discuss Bone Health With Your GP?
A GP discussion about bone health may be valuable if you have:
- Had a fracture after a minor fall or low-impact injury
- A strong family history of osteoporosis or hip fracture
- Experienced early menopause
- Used corticosteroids long-term
- Had recurrent falls
- Lost noticeable height or developed unexplained back pain
- A relevant chronic condition
- Questions about dietary calcium or vitamin D
- Uncertainty about whether a bone-density scan is appropriate
An important current-guideline point: A fracture after minimal trauma in someone over 50 is an important warning sign for osteoporosis and should prompt appropriate assessment rather than being assumed to be an isolated accident. A general medical assessment can help review your risk factors and history in full.
If you have had a fracture after a minor fall, use long-term corticosteroids or have other osteoporosis risk factors, a GP can review your history and discuss whether further assessment is appropriate.
Who Might Need a Bone-Density Scan?
A DXA scan is not routinely recommended for every adult over 50. Current Australian guidance favours risk-based assessment rather than population-wide screening.
A GP may consider a bone-density scan when someone has a previous low-trauma fracture, uses long-term corticosteroids, has early menopause, relevant chronic conditions, low body weight, recurrent falls, a significant family history or other fracture-risk indicators.
If you are uncertain whether a bone-density scan may be appropriate, a preventive health assessment can help your GP review the full picture.
Bone Health and GP Care in Cameron Park
Cameron Park Healthcare’s General Medicine and preventive health services allow adults to discuss osteoporosis risk factors, previous fractures, medicines and whether further assessment may be appropriate. For older adults, the clinic’s aged care service also includes falls-risk and mobility assessment.
Adults in Cameron Park who are concerned about bone health, fracture risk or falls can book a GP appointment to discuss their risk factors and appropriate next steps.
FAQs
What is the best way to keep bones strong as you age?
A combination of adequate calcium, vitamin D and protein, regular weight-bearing and resistance exercise, balance work, avoiding smoking, limiting excess alcohol and addressing medical risk factors gives the most complete approach to bone health.
Is walking enough to keep bones strong?
Walking provides weight-bearing activity and general health benefits, but a broader bone-health routine may also include resistance training and balance exercises depending on individual ability and fracture risk.
Should everyone over 50 take calcium or vitamin D supplements?
No. Food-first calcium is generally preferred, and supplementation is best considered when intake is inadequate, deficiency is identified, or other clinical circumstances make it appropriate.
At what age should you have a bone-density scan?
There is no single scan age for everyone in Australia. A GP considers age alongside fracture history, medicines, chronic conditions and other risk factors before deciding whether DXA testing may be appropriate. Population-wide screening is not currently recommended.