World Osteoporosis Day (WOD) is October 20. It’s a great time to educate yourself about the disease by learning from experts and those living with the condition about the critical need to help protect your bones from potentially disabling and life-threatening fractures. In the U.S., osteoporosis causes an estimated two million broken bones annually. About half of all women and a quarter of men over the age of 50 will break a bone in their lifetime due to the disease. Fortunately, there’s a lot you can do to prevent and treat it.

Many people don’t realize that healthy bone habits begin when you’re young. Most people reach Peak Bone Mass (the strongest, most dense bone you’ll have) by their mid-to-late 20s. In order to reach Peak Bone Mass, you must get enough calcium and vitamin D in your diet and practice weight-bearing and muscle- strengthening exercises regularly. Andrew Llodrá, a young, 20-something male with low bone density knows first-hand that lifestyle changes and regular exercise can go a long way in protecting and improving bone health.

Whether you’ve just been diagnosed with osteoporosis or have been living with it for some time, chances are you may have many questions. How do I manage the disease? Will I break a bone or suffer a second fracture? Do I have to give up all the activities I love? It’s normal to have questions and feel uncertainties, but it’s also important to remember that many people with osteoporosis live full, rewarding lives. Ray Morgan is one of them.