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Age is no barrier for Echuca's Don and Nan McFadden when it comes to maintaining good physical and mental health.

At the respective ages of 89 and 83, Don and Nan are the picture of good health, still living at home and doing tai chi every day, something they have been doing for the past 22 years.

Staying active is particularly important for the tai chi practitioners, not only for their overall wellbeing, but to maintain healthy bones.

About 70 per cent of Australian adults are not active enough, which is bad news for their bone health.

While good calcium intake and vitamin D from sunshine are important for maintaining strong bones, so is exercise.

Some types of exercise, including tai chi, are better for your bones than others.

Jean Hailes for Women’s Health endocrinologist Sonia Davison said exercise was important for bone health throughout life, but was particularly important later when issues such as fractures and osteoporosis became more common.

‘‘Exercises that improve balance, such as tai chi, pilates and yoga are good as, with good balance, you are less likely to suffer falls and fractures,’’ Dr Davison said.

Don and Nan wholeheartedly agree.

“It’s very good for balance and co-ordination and using the left and right side of your brain,” Nan said.

“It helps in your degree of flexibility and movement.

“It’s so gentle and doesn’t cause any bodily stress. You do it to your own comfort level and it improves the more you practise.

“It also has a calming effect on involuntary movement.”

Staying active through tai chi could also delay the need for care and walking sticks, Nan said.

“Tai chi has improved our general physical fitness, maintains good joints and keeps us subtle,” she said.

“You need to keep moving and that will build your confidence to keep going.”

“Then there is the mental and spiritual aspect,” Don said.

“When you’re doing it, you can feel the stream of energy passing through. It’s incredible.

“The best way to describe the feeling is when you have finished tai chi, your body feels like it’s been plugged into an electrical socket.

“But, at the same time, it’s gentle.”

Don and Nan look at peace as they demonstrate the slow, flowing movements in their Asian-inspired garden which has been wired to calming music.

“We are so thankful to have learnt it and still be able to do it at our age and pass this knowledge on,” Nan said.

“Life is like a bank. If you put it in, you can take it out.”

Pharmacist Clint Flanigan, from Moama Village Pharmacy, helps many people, not only diagnosed with osteoporosis, but with concerns about their bone health.

And when he does, he discusses three main areas with them; exercise, calcium intake and vitamin D exposure.

‘‘Lifelong regular exercise is extremely important. With osteoporosis, weight-bearing exercises are best; jogging, walking, playing golf and resistance training,’’ Clint said.

Calcium intake differed for men and women and increased as they became older, he said.

The Osteoporosis Australia website recommends women, aged over 50, to have 1300mg of calcium a day.

A 250mg glass of milk contains 330mg of calcium, while a serve of cheese or tub of yoghurt has about 300mg, so four serves of either of these foods would suffice.

Women aged between 20 and 50 need 1000mg of calcium a day, or roughly three serves of milk, cheese or yoghurt. >>

This is the same for men aged between 20 and 70 and increases to 1300mg a day for those over 70.

Vitamin D exposure is a bit of a catch 22, according to Clint, as there is the risk of skin cancer from too much sun.

According to Osteoporosis Australia, to get enough sunlight to produce vitamin D, a person needs to expose their hands, face and arms to sunlight for about six to eight minutes, four to six times a week, preferably outside the hours of 10am and 2pm.

‘‘Osteoporosis is a silent disease,’’ Clint said.

‘‘Taking calcium and vitamin D won’t fix the problem, it just reduces the risk of ongoing fractures.

‘‘Even if you start on medication to treat it, it’s not like you feel any different, so many people stop taking it because they don’t feel any better. But maintenance is very important and you need to keep on taking your medication.

‘‘If you’re concerned about side effects from your medication or are experiencing any problems, come and have a chat with us or talk to your GP, so we can help to avoid this or look into an alternative, rather than just stopping your medication completely.’’

Clint said he had seen an increase in the number of people presenting with osteoporosis, but put that down to an improved awareness and understanding of the disease and availability of bone scanning services.

The facts on bone health:

One in two - The amount of Australian women over the age of 60 who will have an osteopathic fracture. Men are slighly luckier with 1 in 3 expected to suffer.

50 per cent -  the percentage of people with one fracture due to osteoporosis who are expected to have another. The risk of future fractures rises with each new fracture.

Milk could be the key - One study has found that women over 50 who drank less than a glass of milk a day as girls had significantly lower bone density and twice the risk of fractures compared with those who drank a glass or more.

Every five to six minutes, someone is admitted to an Australian hospital with an osteoporotic fracture. This is expected to rise to every three to four minutes by 2021, as the population ages and the number of osteoporotic fractures increase.

Osteoporosis - Osteoporosis is a condition in which the bones become fragile and brittle, leading to a higher risk of fractures (breaks or cracks) than in normal bone.

For information about osteoporosis and prevention, visit www.osteoporosis.org.au