PROBLEM SOLVED Say Bye to Creaky Bones

How to keep your skeleton in tip-top shape

- RICHARD LALIBERTE

You can't feel it, but all your bones regularly break down and Y rebuild themselves in a process called remodeling, which leads to your entire bony structure being completely replaced about every 10 years! "Until about age 50, women's bodies strike a balance between the amounts of bone lost and rebuilt," says Clifford J. Rosen, M.D., a professor of medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine. But as estrogen dips and bones age and lose minerals, they gradually become more porous and fragile, which can raise your risk of fractures and potentially lead to osteoporosis. Steps like these can help keep your skeleton sturdy and strong.

PREVENT IT

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