Protecting Your Bones

Here's the number that changes behavior: women can lose up to a fifth of their bone density in the five to seven years after menopause — and roughly half of women over 50 will break a bone because of osteoporosis. Bone loss is silent until something breaks. That makes protecting bone a now job, not a later job.

The why is simple: estrogen kept the cells that break down bone in check. With it gone, withdrawal outpaces deposit — fastest in early postmenopause. The good news: bone responds to demand at every age.

Load your skeleton. Bone strengthens when it's asked to work. The evidence-backed trio: strength training (two to three sessions a week), weight-bearing impact (brisk walking, stairs, hiking, dancing), and balance work (tai chi, single-leg practice) — because preventing falls is preventing fractures.

Calcium: food first. Aim for roughly 1,200 mg a day, ideally from food — dairy, fortified alternatives, leafy greens, canned fish with bones. Supplements fill gaps; discuss them with your clinician rather than stacking pills by default.

Vitamin D matters. It's how calcium gets absorbed. Many midlife women run low; ask whether testing or supplementing makes sense for you.

Know your number. A DEXA scan measures bone density — generally recommended at 65, and earlier if you have risk factors: early menopause, family history of osteoporosis, long-term steroid use, smoking, low body weight, or a prior fracture. If any apply, ask now rather than waiting for the milestone birthday.

Skip the saboteurs. Smoking and heavy alcohol both accelerate bone loss.

If your density is low, medications exist — and work. Needing one is a strategy decision, not a failure.

Your Vitality Score already tracks the daily inputs your skeleton cares about most — movement and strength consistency. Keep logging, watch your trend lines, and put "bone health" on the agenda at your next annual visit. Your 80-year-old self is being built right now.