5 Easy Ways to Celebrate ‘National Osteoporosis Month’!

May is National Osteoporosis Month. It’s the perfect time to celebrate one of the most important parts of your body: your bones.

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, where I am honored to serve as Bone Health Ambassador, the best defense against low bone mass, which can lead to osteoporosis, is to do a few simple things, and get started doing them as early as possible. But, they also want you to know that it’s never too late to take control of your own health and well-being.

Here are five easy ways you can celebrate your bones–and National Osteoporosis Month–starting today:

1. Eat more greens: Dark leafy greens–like kale, collard greens, spinach, and romaine–are loaded with calcium, an essential nutrient for building stronger bones.
2. Eat more almonds: Nuts are an important food for good health, but almonds in particular offer the added bonus of delivering lots of calcium. Aim for two servings of nuts a day, and make one of them almonds. A portion size is about 12 almonds. Almonds also stop you from getting hungry, so grab a few in the afternoon when hunger usually strikes.
3. Eat more yogurt: Strained Greek yogurt is particularly high in calcium and many people prefer its thicker texture. Add some fruit, a dot of honey, and a few sliced almonds and you’ve got yourself a calcium-packed breakfast, lunch, or mid-afternoon snack.
4. Walk or run: A daily fast walk or a run will help build muscle mass in your lower body, giving you the strength you need to be mobile for many years to come.
5. Do Push-Ups: You don’t need to go to a gym or have a personal trainer to strengthen your upper body. Doing push-ups every day will keep you fit and strong and osteoporosis far away. But, doing them right is essential. Check out this short video–which is part of my ongoing series for the AARP YouTube Channel–on how to do them so they really work.

And one more tip: get your vitamin D levels checked! Chances are good you aren’t getting enough vitamin D every day and you may need to take supplements. The National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends at least 1,000 mg a day. 

Until next time, remember this: We can’t control getting older, but, we can control how we do it!

Want more tips to living your best life? Check out my new 15-second video series: “DAILY TIPS FOR POSITIVE LIVING” right here.