What's Your Bone Health IQ?

Even if you didn't drink your milk or exercise as much as you should have when you were younger, you can still strengthen your frame. Take our quiz and learn the simple secrets to staying structurally sound.

By Lynya Floyd

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1. Getting enough calcium and vitamin D matters most:

Marty Baldwin

A. before your 20s

B. by your 30s

C. during menopause

D. after menopause

Answer:

B. By about age 20, you'll have built up to 90% of your skeletal mass. But there's still time to get the recommended daily intake of 1,000 mg of calcium and the 600 IU of vitamin D women 19 to 50 need. "It's all about getting to the maximum level by 30," explains Michael Marks, M.D., orthopedic surgeon at Norwalk Hospital in Connecticut. "After 30, it's about minimizing bone loss."

2. For a surprising bone health benefit, try this workout:

A. whole-body vibration

B. swimming

C. horseback riding

D. yoga

Answer:

D. Experts sing the praises of weight-bearing exercise (think stair climbing, not swimming) for strengthening muscles to protect your bones. But yoga and even Pilates also help. "Balance is a big component of decreasing your risk of falling," explains Brendan Carman, director of rehabilitation at Mass Bay Spine & Sport Physical Therapy in Marshfield, Massachusetts. "Good postural alignment prevents you from stressing or straining one area of your body over another." An added bonus: Balance workouts improve core strength, fortifying the muscles around your spine.

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