Q My mother suffers from osteoporosis and my friend suggested more regular exercise may help reduce my risk of being affected by it later in life. Is this true?

A The brittle bone disease osteoporosis affects one in three women and at least one in 12 men. This painful condition renders bones so fragile that even a slight knock or fall can break them.

During childhood the cells which form new bone work faster, enabling the skeleton to increase in density and strength. Once we reach our mid-30s, bone density and strength is reduced. This reduction forms part of the natural ageing process, but in some men and women too much bone is lost, resulting in osteoporosis.

The risk of osteoporosis can be reduced with the right diet and exercise to build healthy strong bones. The earlier you start the better, but introducing a few simple measures to your lifestyle now could help safeguard the future health of your bones.

Ultimately, your genes determine the height and strength of your skeleton but lifestyle factors can also influence bone density. The sedentary, junk food-filled lifestyle, which many kids lead these days could make them prime candidates for developing osteoporosis in later life.

During your childhood and teenage years your bones grow and strengthen rapidly, so it is important to eat a diet rich in calcium. Snacks such as fizzy drinks sweets and crisps do not contain sufficient amounts of calcium and so it is important to include plenty of calcium-rich foods such as milk, cheese and yoghurt in your diet.

Another way to prevent the onset of osteoporosis in later life is by doing plenty of weight-bearing exercise. Any exercise which involves you supporting the weight of your own body is recommended to build bone mass.

Weight training (under the supervision of a qualified fitness instructor) is the most obvious form of exercise which springs to mind, but there are many other weight-bearing exercises which are just as effective. For example: netball, dancing, aerobics, walking and Yoga.

Fitness First has put together a number of resistance exercises and classes such as "Studio Strength" as part of our bone boosting programme and to have the most effect it should be done for a minimum of 20 minutes three times a week.

It is important to undertake the programme on non-consecutive days to allow the body to rest.

For many people, it isn't too late to prevent the onset of osteoporosis, with regular exercise and a proper diet. But there can be no doubt that the earlier preventative methods are put in place the better. The "use it or lose it" philosophy is true of our bones as well as our muscle.

To find out more about the help and advice that is on offer for sufferers of osteoporosis contact Nigel at Fitness First in York on 01904 2634044.

Updated: 08:53 Monday, May 12, 2003