Older people may experience a number of health problems such as heart disease, cancer, and osteoporosis.

Some good habits below can help middle-aged people maintain strong bones and joints.

Healthy eating

An anti-inflammatory diet rich in vegetables, fruits, fish, nuts and whole grains helps slow bone loss in old age.

Women aged 40 and older need about 1,000-1,200 mg of calcium, men after age 50 need 1,000-1,300 mg per day.

Exercise regularly

Exercise is key to maintaining bone density.

Endurance training and high-intensity exercise (jogging, weight lifting) contribute to improving bone density, structure and strength in middle-aged people.

Train your balance ability

People over 55 years old have poor balance, and the risk of bone fractures related to osteoporosis is more than double that of people of the same age without balance problems.

Practicing tai chi or yoga helps enhance coordination, joint flexibility and maintain better balance.

Warrior yoga pose helps improve balance, flexibility, and range of motion in older adults.

Check your eyesight regularly

This habit may not seem to be related to bone and joint health, but it contributes to significantly reducing the risk of falls in the elderly.

People over the age of 65 should have an eye exam every one or two years.

Increase vitamin D

Men and women over 50 years old need 800-1,000 IU of vitamin D every day to help bones absorb calcium.

Measure bone density and examine osteoporosis

Women can have a bone density test at age 65, men at about 70 years old.

If your bone density test is normal, you do not need to have it measured again for up to 10 years as long as your risk factors for osteoporosis have not changed.

Readers ask questions about bone and joint diseases here for doctors to answer