Healthy Bones Action Week: why women over 50 need to prioritise bone health
I’m incredibly proud to be an ambassador for Healthy Bones Action Week with Dairy Australia this year, because bone health is something I believe we need to talk about much more, especially as women move through menopause and beyond.
We spend so much time talking about weight, hormones, gut health, energy and how our bodies look as we age, but there is something happening beneath the surface that deserves just as much attention: our bones.
Healthy Bones Action Week runs from 3–9 August 2026 and is an annual Australian Dairy initiative encouraging Australians to take simple, practical steps to protect their bone health.
And this year there is an important focus on women over 50.
Why bone health becomes so important for women over 50
Our bones are living tissue. Throughout our younger years we build bone, with peak bone density generally reached by our late 20s. From there, the focus increasingly becomes maintaining the bone we have.
For women, menopause can be a particularly important turning point.
Oestrogen plays an important role in protecting our bones. During menopause, oestrogen levels decline significantly, which can accelerate bone loss. Over time, this can increase the risk of osteoporosis and fractures.
This is one of the reasons I think women need to look at menopause as so much more than hot flushes, sleep or weight gain. The changes happening inside our bodies matter too, and the choices we make in our 40s, 50s and beyond can help support our health, strength and independence as we age.
According to Dairy Australia's Healthy Bones Action Week campaign, one in five Australian women over 65 lives with osteoporosis.
That is a statistic worth paying attention to.
The good news is that there are things we can do every day to support our bones, and they don't need to be complicated.
Women over 50 are recommended to have four serves of dairy a day
This is something many women may not realise.
The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend 2.5 serves of milk, yoghurt, cheese and/or alternatives per day for women aged 19 to 50. For women over 50, that recommendation increases to four serves per day.
Why?
Women over 50 have higher calcium requirements. Dairy Australia explains that the recommended calcium intake increases from 1,000 mg per day for younger adult women to 1,300 mg per day for women over 50.
Milk, cheese and yoghurt are convenient sources of calcium as well as protein and other nutrients that contribute to healthy bones and muscles.
Yet Dairy Australia reports that nine in ten Australian adults aren't consuming their recommended daily serves of dairy.
So one of the messages I really want to help share during Healthy Bones Action Week is this: if you're a woman over 50, don't forget about your bones.
What does one serve of dairy look like?
Four serves can sound like a lot until you understand what actually counts as a serve.
One standard dairy serve can be:
1 cup or 250 ml of milk
3/4 cup or 200 g of yoghurt
2 slices or 40 g of cheese
1/2 cup or 120 g of ricotta
It can be surprisingly easy to spread these serves throughout your day.
You might have milk with breakfast, yoghurt with fruit as a snack, ricotta or cheese with lunch and another dairy serve later in the day.
You don't have to sit down and eat four bowls of yoghurt! It is about finding simple ways to incorporate calcium-rich foods into meals and snacks you already enjoy.
Calcium isn't the only reason dairy matters as we age
When we talk about dairy and bone health, calcium tends to get all the attention, but there is another piece of the puzzle I am passionate about: maintaining muscle.
Ageing isn't only associated with loss of bone. We can also progressively lose muscle mass and strength as we get older, particularly if we aren't actively doing something to maintain it.
This is why protein and resistance training become increasingly important as we age.
Dairy foods such as milk, yoghurt and cheese provide protein as well as calcium, making them useful foods for supporting both bones and muscles.
For me, healthy ageing isn't about trying to look 25 forever. It's about being strong, mobile, active and independent for as long as possible.
We want strong muscles, but we need strong bones underneath them too.
The three things women can do for healthier bones
One of the things I love about Healthy Bones Action Week is that the message is really practical. Dairy Australia highlights three key actions we can take to support our bones.
1. Eat enough calcium-rich foods
For women over 50, aim for the recommended four serves of milk, yoghurt, cheese and/or appropriate alternatives each day.
Rather than trying to completely change your diet, look at what you're already eating and ask where you could add a dairy serve.
Add yoghurt to breakfast.
Use milk in your smoothie.
Add ricotta or feta to a salad.
Have yoghurt with fruit.
Add cheese to eggs or a wholegrain sandwich.
Small changes throughout the day can add up.
2. Do weight-bearing and resistance exercise
Nutrition is only part of the bone health picture.
Our bones respond to load, which is why weight-bearing activity and resistance exercise are so important.
Walking, dancing, gardening and other weight-bearing activities can all play a role, and strength training adds another important dimension by challenging both our muscles and bones.
This is one of the reasons I am such a huge advocate for women doing strength training as we get older.
The goal isn't simply to burn calories.
We should be training for the 60, 70 and 80-year-old versions of ourselves.
We want to be able to get off the floor, carry shopping, climb stairs, travel, play with grandchildren and continue doing the things we love.
Building and maintaining strength now is an investment in that future.
3. Get vitamin D through safe sun exposure
Vitamin D is also important for bone health because it helps our bodies absorb calcium.
Our bodies can produce vitamin D when our skin is exposed to sunlight, but the amount of sun exposure required varies according to factors including where you live, the season, skin type and how much skin is exposed.
Sun exposure should always be balanced with appropriate sun protection, so speak with your GP or healthcare professional if you're concerned about your vitamin D levels or bone health.
Menopause is the time to start thinking differently about our bones
I think one of the biggest shifts we can make in women's health is moving the conversation away from simply trying to become smaller as we age.
After 40 and 50, I want women thinking about becoming stronger.
How can I maintain my muscle?
How can I protect my bones?
Am I eating enough protein?
Am I getting enough calcium?
Am I moving my body?
Am I strength training?
What am I doing today that will help me stay strong and independent in another 20 or 30 years?
These questions matter.
Bone loss can happen silently. You can't look in the mirror and see your bone density declining, which is why awareness and prevention are so important.
Take the 7 Ways in 7 Days Dairy Serves Challenge
As part of Healthy Bones Action Week 2026, Australian Dairy is encouraging Australians to take part in its 7 Ways in 7 Days: Dairy Serves Challenge.
The idea is simple: find an easy way each day to include your recommended dairy serves and start creating habits that can continue beyond Healthy Bones Action Week.
You could add yoghurt to your oats, use milk in your smoothie, add ricotta or feta to lunch, choose a milk-based coffee, have cheese with a snack or enjoy yoghurt and fruit for dessert.
These aren't enormous lifestyle changes.
They are small things we can do consistently, and I think that is such an important message when it comes to women's health.
We don't need perfection. We need habits we can actually sustain.
My message to women this Healthy Bones Action Week
As an ambassador for Healthy Bones Action Week and Dairy Australia, I really want to use this opportunity to encourage women, especially women over 50, to think about their bones.
Our health priorities change as we age.
Eating well isn't only about weight.
Exercise isn't only about burning calories.
Protein isn't only for bodybuilders.
And dairy isn't something we should automatically remove from our diet because we think we need to eat less as we get older.
Our bodies need nourishment.
Our muscles need protein.
Our bones need calcium.
And our future selves need us to start prioritising strength today.
So this Healthy Bones Action Week, have a look at your own routine.
Are you getting your recommended dairy serves?
Are you doing weight-bearing activity?
Are you strength training?
Are you thinking about your bone health?
Because healthy ageing isn't just about living longer.
It's about staying strong enough to enjoy those years.
You can learn more about Healthy Bones Action Week and the 7 Ways in 7 Days Dairy Serves Challenge through Dairy Australia.
And don't forget that we also have our osteopenia and osteoporosis meal plan to follow too and you can get this and over 100+ meal plans in the Zing Wellbeing app
