Have you ever seen a skeleton? They can be a bit creepy - but we all have one and taking care of all those bones is really important.
We all know that exercise and eating right helps build strong muscles, but what about your bones? You can't see your bones so it's easy to forget just how important they are. Just like a tree needs a sturdy trunk and branches to stand tall and withstand storms, if you want to have a strong body you need a strong skeleton.
Your bones have to last you a whole lifetime too, and while you're growing is a great time to build them up. The good news is that it's really easy to do.
Calcium chomp
Your bones need plenty of calcium to be strong. There are heaps of yummy foods that have lots of calcium.
Eating dairy foods like milk, yoghurt and cheese are the easiest way to get your daily calcium. Three serves a day (like a glass of milk, a tub of yoghurt and two slices of cheese) will make sure you're getting enough.
Not everyone can have dairy, but that's okay because there are other foods you can have.
Fish like sardines and salmon are great because they have lots of calcium.
Soy milk, tofu, breakfast cereals, bread and orange juice can have calcium added to them to help boost your calcium levels. You can check the nutrition labels on foods to find out how much calcium they have, or ask a grown-up to help you.
Leafy green vegetables like spinach and broccoli and nuts and seeds have small amounts of calcium and lots of other good nutrients to help keep you healthy.
Get active
Exercise is also a great way of building up your bones - but you need to make your body work hard.
Walking is good, but running, skipping, jumping or dancing - is even better. Can you think of all the different games and sports you play that would be good for your bones? Get out there and enjoy them every day.
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