"Revelation indeed!" My learnings after I did the Bone Health Test

I have been a competitive athlete, an NCC cadet, and then my job as a reporter, followed by a baby (seven years back), has kept me on my toes. I easily juggle between being a full-time career woman, a mother to a young daughter, and a friend who is willing to go on a shopping spree, anytime! I go for regular 4-5 km walks every day… So, even as I hit 39 this year, I feel good enough to run a marathon.

But this one test I took recently, has left me a little worried. It happened like this: A dear friend tagged me on this beautiful video that draws a parallel between our bones and chalk; it talks about how important it is for women to keep themselves “strong to the bone” so that we can keep enjoying life’s moments and the things we love.The video led me to a Bone Health Test, something I had never heard of before.  As I clicked on the answers for the five simple questions, I felt my bones cringing (I hadn’t ever thought about my bones!) and then the result popped up – the test suggested that I may be at a risk of Low Bone Mineral Density (BMD).Well, to tell you the truth, I wasn’t exactly surprised – over the last two months, I had not been feeling my best. I had a nagging knee pain and was low on energy, but very conveniently I was ignoring it, like many of us do.

It wasn’t easy for an athlete and a multi-tasker in me to accept the fact that my bones were ageing. But the results of the online Bone Health Test indicated that my bones – which had helped me win medals, write breaking stories or be a supermom – needed attention.The test made me realise that I may have been very active in my 20s but to keep up the same lifestyle in the 30s, I needed to provide extra nutrition to the bones.

So what can that “extra” be? My journalist mindset is attuned to researching on things, so I did my bit on bone health and body requirements’. I found out the exact nutrients required for bone health post 30 – and to my delight, when I was at the grocer’s next and just happened to turn to the back of the Women’s Horlicks bottle, I found that it had all the nutrients (Calcium, Vitamin D & Vitamin K2) I had read about. Since then, it is a part of my staple diet.So I found my something ‘extra’: To my daily glass of milk, I add a scoop of Women Horlicks (and in my grocery shopping list, Women Horlicks now comes in the top three items!).

So yes, this online 2-minute Bone Health Test was a wake-up call and I have suggested it to everyone in my friends and family circle. It’s a good starting point to know if you need to go for further investigations and also to motivate a lifestyle change. At the end of the test (if you are found to be at a risk for low BMD), there is an option available to register online for a free BMD physical test!

Additionally, I now make sure to go for an early morning walk so my bones get some healthy sunshine and process natural Vitamin D. Fact check: Bodies can make Vitamin D in our skin when it is exposed to sunlight… I got that from an online health magazine that I swear by.

Just small positive lifestyle changes and the results are already showing… And I guess it's time for me to take a complete bone test to know exactly what is happening and keep adding more health to my daily ritual – and to my bones. Like the saying goes, better late than never.

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Mamta learnt a lesson in bone health, the hard way. She had to go through a painful time to realise how important it is to take care of her bones. What about you? Will you pick from her example or are you already doing the right things to keep your bones healthy and strong? Do write in (comments section below) and inspire other women to be #strongtothebone…

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Disclaimer: The #Strongtothebone campaign has been brought to you by Women Horlicks to create awareness around women's bone health.