Good bone density means that your bones are less brittle and more resistant to breaking. This matters more as you get older. A broken bone, particularly a hip, can mean a long recovery and can affect your ability to live independently. Retaining bone density is particularly important for women, who lose bone more quickly after menopause, although men also lose bone density as they age.
There's a lot you can do to keep your bones healthy as you age. Strength-building and weight-bearing activities, such as weight training, walking and heavy gardening, help maintain bone density, and in some cases, build it. Activities that improve your strength and balance also make you less likely to fall. A bone-healthy diet helps too. That means eating leafy greens, calcium-rich foods such as dairy products and tinned fish with soft bones, and enough protein. Vitamin D also helps maintain bone health. Your skin makes it from sunlight, but it becomes less efficient at this as you age, so some sun exposure is useful while still following sun-safety advice. Vitamin D can also be prescribed for people who are deficient.
Some people have great faith in supplements for building bone health. They aren't right for everyone, so if you want to take them, talk to your GP first.
Low bone density can lead to osteoporosis, a disease that causes bones to become weak and brittle, which increases the risk of fractures. Osteoporosis is diagnosed with a bone density scan, which compares your bone density with that of a healthy young adult of the same sex. You may be at higher risk if you have broken a bone easily before, have a family history of osteoporosis, have taken steroid medicines for a long time, smoke, or have a low body weight. If you're concerned you may be at risk, speak to your health professional.
Updated: 30 Sep 2026