Empowering Women to Take Charge of Their Bone Health

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International Women’s Day – 8th March

This International Women’s Day, Women across the UK are being urged to take proactive steps to protect their bone health, as the Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS) launches a renewed call for women of all ages to understand their individual risk of osteoporosis and broken bones.

On a day when extraordinary women are being recognised, and celebrated, across the world, the ROS reminds us that every woman is extraordinary and deserves to feel strong and empowered, particularly where their bone health is concerned.

Half of women over 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a condition where bones become weaker and break more easily, even after a minor bump or fall. These breaks, known as fragility fractures, most commonly affect the wrist, hip, and spine. It is the fractures themselves, rather than osteoporosis, that can lead to pain, loss of mobility and reduced independence. And it’s not a condition that only affects the older women.

From around age 35, everyone naturally begins to lose bone density. For women, this accelerates after menopause due to falling levels of oestrogen, a hormone essential for maintaining strong bones. Women also tend to have smaller bones than men and typically live longer, further increasing their risk of osteoporosis and broken bones during their lifetime.

Long distance runner Claire was distraught when she was diagnosed with osteoporosis back in 2019, then only 50 years old. She told us:

“When you think of osteoporosis, you think of just old women, and I’ve tried really hard to change that narrative. I used to work in education with young people and I think one of the things we need to stress is that being aware of your bones from an early age can make a massive difference.

If there’d been a bit of joined up thinking in primary care, I think I would have been diagnosed much earlier. GPs are extraordinarily busy and can’t be specialists in everything, but I do think there was a real lack of knowledge and care in my experience.

Of course, the Great British Bone Check wasn’t around then, but I reached out to the ROS straight away and found them incredibly helpful. As you get older it’s important to do what you can to remain fit and healthy, so please ladies, take 3 minutes to complete the risk checker, it could change your life.”

Julia Thompson, Specialist Osteoporosis Nurse at the ROS said:

“Looking after your bones is so important, and some simple lifestyle changes can make a real difference.”

Staying active, by doing both weight-bearing and muscle-strengthening exercises, is the best way to keep your bones and muscles strong. It can also help to do some exercises to improve your balance so you’re less likely to fall over and break a bone.

Eating a healthy, balanced, bone‑supportive diet can also help to maintain strong bones. Calcium and vitamin D are essential nutrients; Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium and comes from sunlight and foods such as oily fish, like herring, salmon and mackerel as well as eggs, red meats. It’s also a good idea to take a vitamin D supplement, especially between September to April when there is less sunlight.

As well as regular exercise and a healthy balanced diet, stopping smoking, staying within the recommended alcohol guidelines, and keeping a healthy body weight can all help to support good bone health”

Act now and know your risk

The ROS is urging women across the nation to take control of their bone health by completing the charity’s quick and free 3‑minute ‘Great British Bone Check‘ risk checker.

This simple tool helps women understand their personal risk factors than can increase your chance of developing osteoporosis, and since its launch, more than half a million people across the UK have completed it and even more encouragingly, 84% of them have already taken action as a result of their score. That’s estimated to lead to up to 71,000 people receiving an early diagnosis of the condition, giving them the chance to protect their bones before life-changing broken bones start happening. The ROS hopes thousands more will join them.

There is no single test that can “look inside” your bones. Instead, a combination of tools including bone density scans and clinical risk assessments help to build a clearer picture of our bone strength and fracture risk.

Speak Up, Stay Strong

The ROS believes women deserve to be in a position of power – equipped with clear, trusted information to make proactive decisions about their bone health.

By encouraging women to complete the 3‑minute risk checker, stay active, eat well and seek medical advice when needed, the charity aims to transform how women understand and manage their bone health at every stage of life.

Julia added: “Any woman who thinks she may be at risk because of her age, family history, lifestyle, previous fractures, or other health conditions that affect bone strength is encouraged to speak to her GP.”

The ROS provides detailed information and support to help women recognise risk factors, take preventative action and pursue early intervention where needed.

For more information visit the ROS where you can find a wide range of fact sheets and videos/films on all aspects of the condition.