There are several things that people can do to help reduce the chance of osteoporosis developing or worsening:

• Stop smoking
• Avoid excessive alcohol consumption (keep to less than two units a day) 
• Do regular weight-bearing exercise (e.g. 20 minutes of walking every day or 30 minutes five times a week)
• Avoid immobility
• Pre-menopausal women should avoid excessive dieting and exercise resulting in amenorrhoea (an abnormal absence of menstruation) 
• Ensure a balanced, calcium-rich diet (700mg daily). The main dietary sources of calcium are dairy products and green vegetables
• Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption. The main source of vitamin D is sunlight.

Some everyday ways of obtaining vitamin D are:

• Spending 15-20 minutes a day in the sun (from April to October) with hands and face exposed
• Exercising out of doors
• Eating foods rich in vitamin D. The main dietary sources of vitamin D are fortified foods such as margarine and breakfast cereals, as well as oily fish, meat and eggs
• Taking a supplement. New guidelines from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition and Public Health England recommend that everyone over one year of age should take a daily supplement containing 10mcg of vitamin D.

The importance of exercise

eople who fall frequently have poor muscle strength and balance. There is very good evidence to show that exercises that aim to increase muscle strength and balance help to prevent falls. So as well as doing regular exercise to keep the heart and bones healthy (the standard recommendation is 150 minutes of aerobic exercise each week), people should also be doing two sessions of exercise that help increase muscle strength and balance every week. It's not necessary to go to the gym to do this. Instead, activities like heavy gardening, dancing and tai chi are effective. For people who are elderly or who have already fallen, it is best if they get expert advice about tailored exercises that are suited to their abilities.