This article is a list of my favorite and easy tips to keep your bones healthy all summer long. Lets be honest, summer has a way of shaking us up. Our Schedules, routines, and healthy habits can feel harder to maintain during this busy time of year. Then add in travel, heat, longer days, spontaneous adventures, and events/parties. While all of this is fun and of course should be enjoyed, it can also pull you away from the things that matter most for your bones.

Summer is not a threat to your bone health. It’s actually one of the most naturally bone-supportive seasons of the year, if you know how to use it. The sun, the movement, the abundance of fresh food, the time outdoors. Your bones thrive on all of these things.

This checklist covers six things you can do right now, through the rest of this summer, to protect your bone density, stay strong, and feel it in your body every single day.

1. Step Into the Sun — Smartly

Your bones need vitamin D to absorb calcium. Without it, even a calcium-rich diet cannot fully do its job. Think of calcium as the bricks and vitamin D as the system that gets those bricks where they are needed most, your skeleton. Summer is the most natural opportunity you have all year to build your vitamin D levels. Your skin produces vitamin D when it is exposed to UVB rays, and in summer those rays are stronger, more available, and easier to access with a simple walk outside.

What the science tells us: Research suggests that just 5 to 10 minutes of sun exposure on your arms and legs, a few times a week, can meaningfully support vitamin D production. The exact amount varies based on your skin tone, your latitude, and the time of day. But the principle is consistent. Sensible, regular sun exposure is one of the most effective and accessible bone health tools you have.

What about sunscreen? Sunscreen does reduce vitamin D production, which is why timing matters. Consider getting your brief window of unprotected sun exposure first, arms, legs, or face for 10 to 15 minutes, and then applying sunscreen for extended time outdoors. Protecting your skin from prolonged UV damage is important. But don’t let fear of sun exposure keep you in the shade entirely, especially in summer.

A note on supplements: Many women, even those who spend time outside, are still vitamin D deficient. If you haven’t had your levels checked recently, ask your doctor for a simple blood test. Supplementation may be appropriate regardless of season, and your provider can help you with the right dose.

DO THIS: Take a short walk in the morning or late afternoon sun, with arms and legs exposed, a few times this week. Let it be a ritual, not a chore.

2. Hydrate for Your Bones, Not Just Your Thirst

Most women know they should drink more water in summer. Fewer know that hydration is directly connected to bone health.

Water is the vehicle your body uses to carry calcium and other minerals to your bones. Even if you are eating well and supplementing wisely, those nutrients cannot reach your skeleton without adequate hydration. Dehydration slows that transport system down. In summer, between heat and activity and sweat, it happens faster than most of us realize.

“25% of your bone is water. Hydration isn’t optional – it’s structural.”

There is also a joint health connection worth noting. Proper hydration keeps your joints lubricated, reduces inflammation, and helps your body manage the physical demands of summer movement.

I wrote a full post on hydration and bone health here. It is worth a read, especially if you are in perimenopause or postmenopause, when hydration can become more challenging.

DO THIS: Start your morning with a full glass of water before coffee. Carry a water bottle everywhere. Add a pinch of mineral-rich sea salt and a squeeze of lemon or lime to your water if you are exercising outdoors in the heat. Your bones and muscles benefit from the trace minerals and a little squeeze of citrus makes your water feel more like a beverage.

3. Keep Moving — Your Bones Are Listening

Summer is full of reasons to let your routine slip. Travel, house guests, heat, a different schedule. And the weeks you step away from consistent movement are the weeks your bones miss the signal they need to stay strong. Bone is living tissue. It responds to load. When you place intentional stress on your skeleton through weight-bearing and resistance exercise, your body reads that as a signal to build and maintain density. When that signal goes quiet, the remodeling process shifts in the wrong direction.

Summer movement does not have to be complicated. Hiking and afternoon neighborhood walks counts. Swimming, while wonderful for your cardiovascular system and joints, is not weight-bearing, so pair it with something that is. Walking on uneven terrain, carrying your own bag, doing bodyweight exercises in your hotel room. All of it adds up.

“This workout felt great after a couple weeks out of town. I love having you as my coach in my pocket!” – Maggie

That message came from a woman who had been traveling and came back to her program. She did not give up, or start over. She just picked up where she left off, and her body remembered. That is exactly what my online bone health program is designed for. To be there when you need it, wherever you are. Your program travels with you.

DO THIS: If you are traveling or your routine is disrupted, aim for two sessions per week of intentional weight-bearing or resistance movement. Ten to twenty minutes is enough to send your bones the signal they need. Use my online app to stay on track from anywhere. Your first week is free.

4. Eat for Your Bones This Season

Summer brings some of the most bone-supportive foods of the year, and most of them are already on the seasonal table. You do not need a complicated nutrition overhaul. You just need to know what to reach for.

• Leafy greens (kale, bok choy, and collards are among the highest non-dairy sources of calcium)
• Full-fat dairy, if you tolerate it (yogurt, cheese, and whole milk kefir all support bone density)
• Canned salmon,tofu, chia seeds, figs, almonds
• Fortified plant milks if you are dairy-free (almond, oat, and soy milks with added calcium are a good backup)

• Magnesium, found in nuts, seeds, dark chocolate, and avocado, supports calcium absorption and bone formation. Pumpkin seeds are my favorite and a standard 1-ounce serving of pumpkin seeds contains roughly 156 milligrams (mg) of magnesium. This provides about 37% of the Daily Value (DV) for adults, that is substantial!
• Vitamin K2, found in fermented foods and some cheeses, helps direct calcium into bones rather than soft tissue
• Protein is essential for bone matrix. I have a full post on protein and bone health here if you want to go deeper

What to watch in summer: Alcohol and excess caffeine can both interfere with calcium absorption and bone remodeling. Summer social occasions tend to bring more of both.

DO THIS: Add one bone-supportive food to each meal this week. A handful of kale in your smoothie, a little tofu on your salad, a scoop of yogurt in the afternoon. Small, consistent choices compound into real results.

5. Watch Your Footing This Summer

Fall prevention is one of the most important topics I work with, and summer can raise the risk in ways women don’t always think about.

Think about your summer terrain: uneven hiking trails, poolside tile, restaurant patios on cobblestone, flip flops on gravel, sand shifting under your feet. These are often the ordinary landscapes of summer. For a woman whose balance and bone density have not been trained intentionally, they can be risky.

Balance is a skill. Like strength, it can be trained, improved, and maintained at any age. The women I work with who commit to balance training do not just reduce their fall risk, they move through the world with a different kind of confidence. We do this with our monthly balance challenges. A new monthly balance exercise that progressively gets more challenging through the month. Ten minutes of balance training everyday is key to improving balance. This consistent work shows up in real life with feeling steadier on the trail, more confident navigating curbs and stairs, and more present in their bodies.

• Single-leg stands while brushing your teeth or waiting for coffee to brew (aim for a goal 30 sec on each leg. The 30-second standing on one leg test (Single-Leg Stance) is a widely used clinical assessment to measure balance, predict fall risk, and indicate how well your body is aging. See the research here.
• Walking barefoot on grass or sand, which naturally challenges your proprioception and is a great grounding technique
• Practicing slow, controlled heel-to-toe walking, (similar to walking an imaginary tightrope)
• Including balance-focused sequences in your regular training (this is woven throughout my bone health program)

Footwear matters too. Flip flops offer almost no lateral support and change the way you load your joints. For longer walks or uneven terrain, choose shoes that support your arch and ankle. Save the sandals for the patio.

DO THIS: Practice a single-leg stand for 20 to 30 seconds on each side, every day this week. Notice which side is stronger. Use a chair or wall for support and notice how it improves by the end of the week.

6. Do a Midyear Routine Check-In

We are at the halfway point of the year. That is worth pausing for. Not to judge where you are, but to honestly assess what is working and what needs your attention in the second half. Your bones are built over time. Density does not change in a week, but the habits you practice consistently over months and years absolutely do shift the trajectory of your bone health. I like to describe your bone health like a long term building project. Strong bones are maintained through intentional habits known to support bone health. And midsummer, midyear, is the perfect time to ask a few honest questions.

• Am I moving with intention most days of the week?
• Am I getting enough calcium and protein from my food?
• Have I had a vitamin D check in the last year?
• Is my sleep consistent? (Bone remodeling happens during rest)
• Am I managing my stress? (Cortisol directly impacts bone density)
• Do I have a program I trust and return to consistently?

You do not have to answer yes to all of them. But knowing which ones need your attention gives you a roadmap for the rest of the year.

DO THIS: Choose one thing from this checklist that you are not currently doing, and commit to it for the next four weeks. Just one. Consistency in one area builds momentum in all the others.

Bring It All Together

Look at summertime as a beautiful invition for supporting your bones. Step outside, move your body, eat well from what the season offers. Calm your nervous system by floating in body of water. Resist the urge to be a night owl with the long warm days, (I am so guilty of this one) and prioritize a consistent sleep schedule.

Your bones are always listening. They respond to the sun you step into, the water you drink, the weight you lift, the food on your plate, the ground under your feet. Every choice you make this summer is a message to your skeleton. Make it a strong one. Stronger, steadier, and confident. Make summer have a positive impact into your strong bones long term building project.

My online bone health program gives you a safe, progressive system built on science and designed for real life. Strength training, balance work, and nervous system support, all in one place, available from anywhere.

Your first week is completely free.

Candy Price

CPT-NASM, BoneFit Trained,™ Yoga/Pilates Certified

Candy Price is a NASM Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Yoga and Pilates Teacher, and BoneFit trained instructor through the Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation (BHOF). She brings 27 years of healthcare experience to everything she builds. Her mission is simple: to help women stay strong, steady, and independent for life.

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