May is Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month!
Join us in raising awareness about osteoporosis and bone health! There are many ways to get involved.
This May, let’s step up for stronger bones! Osteoporosis typically develops without symptoms, so many people don’t realize their bones are getting weaker until they experience a break. But with awareness and action, we can change that. This year, we’re inviting everyone to get involved with our new Walk a Mile Day in May step challenge. Get ready to lace up your sneakers, track your steps, and take part in this all-ages effort to promote bone health.
Walking is one of the best low-impact weight-bearing exercises to help maintain bone density, improve balance, and support overall physical and mental health, which is especially important as we age. Research also shows that 1 in 2 women and up to 1 in 4 men over the age of 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis. But walking just a little each day can help lower the risk.
This May, as part of our Walk a Mile a Day in May campaign, we’re excited to launch Be Bone Strong™ Walking Clubs in communities across the country.
Led by passionate volunteers, each club meets weekly for a 30–60 minute walk at a moderate pace. Whether you’re just starting out or already a seasoned walker, you’ll find encouragement, movement, and motivation every step of the way.
These walking clubs are part of BHOF’s broader Be Bone Strong™ initiative—bringing bone health awareness out of the clinic and into neighborhoods nationwide.
Join a club or start one today!
There is so much you can do to spread awareness and show your support by using social media. It’s more important than ever that we come together to support each other, rally our communities and raise awareness about bone health during Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month in May! This user-friendly toolkit contains everything you need to share information on social media with your peers, colleagues, friends, family, and in your community. It is complete with posts and images, making it easier for everyone to spread the news far and wide about the importance of good bone health.
Click here to download the toolkit.
Give during the month of May to help improve patient care and support for those who have already broken bones due to osteoporosis and to protect future generations from this debilitating disease.
Donate today!
Visit the BHOF fundraising page to learn more and register. You can then personalize your fundraiser with stories, photos and videos. It only takes a few minutes. Then invite your friends, family and network to support your fundraiser. You can even donate to yourself to get the ball rolling.
Virtual Events
Free On-Demand Video Series: The 3 Most Crucial Components of Exercise for Osteoporosis
Date/Time: May 1-31, 2025 (ongoing)
Instructor: Kaari Prehab
Details: Better BMD requires very specific exercise stimulus, loading patterns, and progression over time. This free video series and mini-ebook teaches you evidence-based techniques that actually produce a better DXA scan. Register for lifetime access!
Link: https://www.kaariprehab.com/p/crucial-principles-exercise-osteoporosis
One Minute Plank Challenge
Date/Time: May 1-31, 2025 (ongoing)
Instructor: Jenny Rappole, JRAPPFIT Health & Wellness
Details: Challenge yourself to complete a one minute plank every day during May. Each day, you will receive a new one minute video with a fun plank variation that gets progressively more challenging during the month. One third of the proceeds from the plank challenge will be donated to the Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation! Starting May 1, you will receive an email each day in May at 5:00am ET containing the link to the video containing the one minute plank variation for the day. Every day, after you do your one minute plank, add a comment to the YouTube video.
Sign up here: https://www.jennyrappole.com/programs/p/one-minute-plank-challenge
Busting Myths & Building Bones: Research-Based Solutions for Stronger Bones (Webinar)
Date/Time: Saturday, May 3, 2025, 12:00pm-1:00pm ET
Speaker: Kaari Prehab
Details: With so many programs, workouts, and gadgets promising to build stronger bones, how do you know what actually works? In this webinar, Kaari Coach Karin Weinstein (ERYT-500, CMMT, YACEP, CPT) will dive into the research on popular approaches, including yoga, Pilates, walking, OsteoStrong, vibration plates, Osteoboost, strength training, and impact training. Learn what actually supports bone health – and what doesn’t – so you can make informed choices based on science!
Registration Link: https://kaari.kit.com/busting-myths-building-bones
Balance Exercise Class (Webinar)
Date/Time: Monday, May 5, 2025, 6:00pm-6:45pm ET
Instructor: Carol Michaels, MBA, ACE, ACSM
Details: This free 45-minute class will teach you how to regain function and mobility for activities of daily living and will help you to decrease the likeliness of falling. Balance exercises can help prevent falls by improving your ability to control and maintain your body’s position whether you are in motion or stationary. You will need a chair, mat, and a resistance band. To register for this class, send an email to caroljmichaels@gmail.com and visit www.CarolMichaelsFitness.com. You will receive a Zoom invite the evening before the class.
Healthy Bones for Life™ (Webinar)
Date/Time: Tuesday, May 6, 2025, 2:00pm-3:00pm ET
Speaker: Peer Educator – Mae Chew
Details: This webinar will share the basics of bone health and why it is important. You will learn bone development over the ages, understand what osteoporosis is, bone loss and fractures. It’s the perfect introduction to preventing bone loss, fracture prevention, bone-safe exercise and bone-healthy nutrition. So, take steps to stay strong and independent for life!
Registration Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_-cymYENcROKztArk2W8jbQ
Start a ‘Be Bone Strong’™ Walking Club! (Webinar)
Date: Wednesday, May 7, 2025
Time: 1:00pm ET
Presenter: Be Bone Strong™ Team Captain Barbara Hannah Grufferman
Details: Join nationally recognized advocate and Be Bone Strong™ Team Captain Barbara Hannah Grufferman for a special 30-minute webinar exploring the momentum behind the Be Bone Strong™ Team. Barbara will share some background information about this initiative, provide insight into how she launched her own Walking Club, and offer practical tips to help you start one in your community. Whether you’re a seasoned walker or a new supporter of bone health, this webinar will inspire you to take the next step! Click here to sign up now.
A New Era in Bone Health: Introducing Osteoboost (Webinar)
Date/Time: Tuesday, May 20, 2025, 2:00pm-3:00pm ET
Details: Join a live session on Osteoboost—the first and only FDA-cleared, drug-free medical device for postmenopausal women with low bone density. Designed to help protect the spine and hips, Osteoboost is clinically proven to slow bone loss where fractures happen most. In this webinar, you’ll learn how this groundbreaking therapy fits into a modern, proactive approach to bone health. $50 off Osteoboost with the code BHOF50, valid through May 31, 2025.
Registration Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_dVQdU5GXTkG1MyKF9vjjTw
Posture Power™ (Webinar)
Date/Time: Thursday, May 22, 2025, 2:00pm-3:00pm ET
Speaker: Peer Educator – Mary Beth Ray
Details: A program covering the importance of posture and body mechanics to prevent fractures, with quick techniques for safe movement. Postural changes affect our bones and body as we age. Knowing proper alignment and the correct type of exercises can improve posture and help reduce the risk of fractures. In addition, you’ll learn the right ways to do your everyday activities. So stand tall and get the most out of life!
Registration Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_XKxpl0gnRi2mHS3mD5EchA
Non-Negotiable Exercise Techniques for Better BMD (Webinar)
Date/Time: Saturday, May 24, 2025, 12:00pm-1:00pm ET
Speaker: Kaari Prehab
Details: Join Kaari Osteoporosis Director, NASM-Certified Personal Trainer, Yoga Medicine Therapeutic Specialist and Nutritional Therapeutic Practitioner Michaela Smith to learn how to create a safe and effective exercise routine that will provide the most bone building benefits. This webinar will empower you with evidence-based information and skills you can implement right away to support your bone health!
Registration Link: https://kaari.kit.com/exercise-techniques-better-bmd
In-person Events
Osteoporosis and Bone Health Awareness Open House (In-person Program)
Date/Time: Saturday, May 3, 2025, 12pm-2pm ET
Host: The Aerobics and Fitness Studio
Location: 200 Russell Street, Suite 300, Hadley, MA 01002
Join a FREE Q&A Session focusing on bone health and the effects of osteoporosis. Kim Davidson, BHOF Ambassador, will be present to discuss the effects of osteoporosis, bone health nutrition, exercise, and falls prevention. You will have the opportunity to complete our Bone Health Risk Questionnaire and participate in Falls Risk assessments and a Grip Strength assessment. Registration is not required and this is a FREE event. If you have questions, please contact Kim Davidson at aerofit@comcast.net.
Exercise for Osteoporosis (In-person Program – weekly in May)
Dates/Time: Saturdays, May 10, 17, 31 and June 7, 2025, from 12pm-2pm ET (Note: No meeting on May 24, Memorial Day weekend)
Presenter: Kim Davidson
Host: The Aerobics and Fitness Studio
Location: 200 Russell Street, Suite 300, Hadley, MA 01002
Details: This 4-week interactive program focuses on the EXERCISE component of living with osteoporosis or osteopenia. Activities and exercises that are safe and effective to include in cardiovascular and progressive resistance training programs geared toward preserving bone density, increasing muscular strength, and decreasing the risk of falls will be discussed and practiced. This program is 20% off during Osteoporosis Awareness Month.
Register here: https://www.theaerobicsandfitnessstudio.com/ schedule .
Questions: If you have questions, please contact Kim Davidson at aerofit@comcast.net.
On-Demand Webinars
De-Stressing in Nature for Bone Health: https://vimeo.com/715685685
Walking/Running for Your Bone Health: https://vimeo.com/707893959
Mindful Movement for All Ages: https://vimeo.com/710891343
Bone Healthy Advice: Exercise, Nutrition, Mindfulness: https://vimeo.com/712991063
Walking with Purpose: Transformative Health Benefits with Joyce Shulman
On this episode of Bone Talk, BHOF CEO Claire Gill is joined by Joyce Shulman to discuss the transformative power of walking and the benefits of community exercise. Walking positively impacts your mind, mood, and body. It’s been shown to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia, add volume to the hippocampus, and improve the brain’s executive function. A 20-minute walk can boost creativity by up to 60%. For many, regular walking practice can be as effective for mild depression as medication and can lengthen the time between major depressive episodes. With every mile we walk, that’s 2,000 steps we take that we also maintain our posture, keep our body and spine erect, and help maintain balance. Click here to learn more and listen to this episode.
Listen and learn more here: bonetalk.org
Tune in to these past episodes:
The BHOF Quick Guide provides some key facts about osteoporosis, simple steps you can take to protect your bones, and a list of support resources to help you connect with fellow osteoporosis patients or get involved in helping those suffering from the disease.
The Preparing for Your Visit With Your Doctor and Healthcare Team booklet offers information to help you prepare for your visit and contains the following four sections: Preparing for Your Appointment, Finding a Specialist and Getting a Second Opinion, Questions to Ask Your Healthcare Provider, and What to Expect if You Are Diagnosed With Low Bone Density or Osteoporosis.
The educational resources in the Patient Resource Library are BHOF’s most up-to-date publications and videos geared towards patients, caregivers and the general public. These materials provide general information about osteoporosis and low bone density. They are not intended to replace the services of trained and qualified health professionals or to be a substitute for medical advice of physicians. For more information, see our complete Medical Disclaimer.
Visit the BHOF Digital Media Platform to access television and radio public service announcements, patient video stories, bone health resources, and fact sheet about osteoporosis.
Whether you’d like to connect with fellow osteoporosis patients or get more involved to help those suffering from the disease, we have resources available to help you. Follow the links below to learn how you can join our online community, start or join a BHOF Support Group or find an osteoporosis event happening in your own community. Find the resources you need:
Explore a new patient pathway online tool – Your Path to Good Bone Health. This digital knowledge-roadmap provides patients and care partners with the information they need to take control of their bone health, manage their osteoporosis and prevent debilitating fractures.
If you or someone you love has osteoporosis (or weak or brittle bones) or low bone density, you have the power to improve how we care for these diseases by sharing your experiences.
A first of its kind tool in the osteoporosis field, the Healthy Bones, Build Them for Life® Patient Registry surveys patients and caregivers about how osteoporosis and low bone density impact their lives. This patient-reported information is collected anonymously, combined, and analyzed by the Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation (BHOF) to map out the patient journey. This map will show BHOF and the broader bone health community what patients need and want most.
Raise awareness about osteoporosis by telling others about your experiences. Sharing your journey will help others understand the impact of this disease and gain an understanding of what it’s like for someone who has it.
Visit our blog, Bone Talk, to get inspiration from our Voices of Osteoporosis stories like the ones below.
If you’d like to be featured, click here.
Victoria Schmidt
It’s Working: My Three-Fold Approach to Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is responsible for an estimated two million broken bones per year, yet nearly 80 percent of older Americans who suffer bone breaks are not tested or treated for osteoporosis.
Eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly can help slow or stop the loss of bone mass and help prevent fractures.
A woman’s risk of fracture is equal to her combined risk of breast, uterine and ovarian cancer.
A man is more likely to break a bone due to osteoporosis than he is to get prostate cancer.