Weak bones couldn't keep me off the fells that I love

AS A keen hiker Sara Selvarajah was devastated when she was diagnosed with osteoporosis aged 59.

- By Jaymi McCann

The retired tax adviser feared not being able to live the active lifestyle she loved due to the bone-weakening condition.

Three years later she was told her fracture risk had risen by 20%, making slips or falls while hiking potentially life changing.

Sara said: “It was really depressing. I felt old, and I looked to the future and thought, ‘Am I going to be a woman who is scared of hurting herself? Will I be able to walk in Cumbria and not be worried about falling?’. I didn’t want to be afraid of the life that lay ahead of me.”

But after establishing an exercise routine including walking, running and weights Sara is stronger than ever.

She is joining the Royal Osteoporosis Society to urge people to get on their feet in May National Walking Month. Bones are made up of living tissue and get stronger when you use them, so when your muscles pull on your bones it gives them work to do. They respond by renewing themselves and maintaining or improving their strength.