So this week is all about bones!

I thought it followed on quite nicely from last week's Q and A during which I touched on it a little bit. I have had quite a lot of requests and people asking me various things when I've talked about my journey, so I thought I'd go into a little more detail for you!

I want to make it very, very clear that this is my journey and everybody is very different. I'm not medically trained. I am not an expert in this field, but I thought it might help others to talk about what I have been through, and how I have adapted to thrive despite my diagnosis.

It is so important to stay strong, fit and have good bones. Our lifestyles have changed so much over the years and every generation is getting physically weaker and weaker because we are so inactive nowadays!

Our bodies are designed to be on the move, to be on the go, to be lifting, carrying, walking and doing all sorts of things. We're not designed to be sitting for hours watching TV or working at desks. We're designed to be active!

I started having problems when I was about eight when my ankle kept turning whilst I was running at school. Mum took me to see the doctor, I was referred to a physio and I ended up being put in plaster for six weeks to completely rest my ankle. They didn't know about my condition at the time.

I've got something called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and I'm Type Two. This means I'm very, very hypermobile. It affects the way my muscle tissue is made up and it also affects the collagen in my body.

It's important to note here that that are so many top athletes, sportspeople, you name it, that are hypermobile. It can be a huge advantage if you know about it and if you are fit and strong and active in the right way!

So I had the problem with my ankle, was put in plaster, but it didn't work. I ended up just living with it. By the time I was 14 I had so many back and joint problems I ended up going for MRI scans, x-rays, you name it. They just couldn't figure out what was going on! So I was just put on bed rest. The only thing I did do was ride sidesaddle because it didn't hurt - it was using my core strength. Whilst riding astride your pelvis is open and that affected my lower back too much to continue doing. Unfortunately, the years during which I was put onto bed rest were the same years critical for forming your bone mass.

I was so inactive that I ended up with osteoporosis - osteopenia. I was diagnosed with it when I was about 20. I actually had a chest infection and whilst I was coughing I cracked some ribs, so I was referred to a specialist. I was then sent to see a rheumatologist to discuss my bones, and I mentioned to him that one of my party tricks was lying on my tummy and putting my heels on my chin. That is when I was further referred on and got the Ehlers Danlos diagnosis.

Nobody ever sat me down and said, this is what it is, this is what you've got and this is what you've got to do. I was just sort of told to do a bit more exercise. Well, I was in my early twenties and had never really done exercise, so that was a huge problem for me because unfortunately every time I tried to work out I would pull something, really hurt something and be back to square one!

So, I ended up just not doing very much.

A few people have asked about how it affected my pregnancies. When you're pregnant, you become flexible due to your body releasing a hormone called relaxin.

My pregnancies were quite tricky, but there were some plusses. Giving birth was pretty quick and pretty easy!

After I had the children, my bones got stronger, I had a regular bone scan so I could see exactly what was going on. But when Gus was probably about three or four, they started deteriorating again and I shattered my shoulder blade. Six months later, my lower back was really bad. I had two disc bulges and I needed to have steroid injections in there. The pain was just horrific, and then six months after that, I shattered my tibial plateau - the bottom part of my knee and my ankle. It was a terrible, terrible year.

But then I met the most incredible physio. I did a lot of research into my condition, I got fit and I got strong. My physio said that me doing pilates once a week is not enough and that I needed to be working out regularly at a gym. For me, living in the middle of nowhere, going to a gym with three young children was a difficult task, So Leigh Linton's Ultimate Shred online was just perfect.

The way Leigh does her exercises are so specific and her attention to detail is so on point which is crucial so I don't injure myself. I could also just build it up slowly - in the beginning, I certainly couldn't keep up with her and couldn't even do the jumping jacks, but now looking back from where I was is just super exciting and I can do everything I want. I'm even back on a horse!

You can improve your bone mass. I'm 40 this year, my last bone scan was positive and I think it's important to know that there are so many things that you can do!

I'm going to chat those through with you quickly now.

DIET

I don't believe in diets. I think it's really important to have a healthy, balanced, varied diet. Get yourself some good nutritious food and eat as seasoned as you possibly can.

Green leafy vegetables are brilliant. The darker the green, the better! Kale, broccoli, cabbage etc are perfect.

Yellow vegetables are really good as well. Yellow peppers, sweetcorn, courgettes etc.

Figs are rich in calcium and prunes are brilliant for you too!

Salmon and fatty fish. The little bones are great and filled with fantastic omega 3.

Almonds and tofu are a staple in my house too!

Protein - 50% of our bones are made up of protein, so it's really good to have a good amount in your diet. However, too much protein can have a negative effect. So again, everything in moderation and a nice healthy balance.

VITAMIN D

This is important. We don't have enough sunlight here in the UK. I do take this supplement which has a good amount of vitamin D. This is the only supplement that I take, apart from drinking matcha.

VITAMIN K

This is really important for you so eggs, cheese and meat.

AVOID LOW-CALORIE DIETS

It's just not good for you. You need a really good balance. I like to think back to years and years ago when you used to eat seasonally, you used to eat a really good, healthy, varied diet, a lot of which you've grown yourself without chemicals or things put on them. Good organic food is the way to go!

GET ACTIVE

I'm writing this in my gym kit because I'm going to share with you some of the best exercises in a moment, but high impact sport is really important. Build it up slowly, don't overdo it in the beginning.

RUNNING

Perhaps start off hiking and getting your arms involved, build that up to a gentle jog for a hundred yards, then walk again, until you can start running. Running is great for bones! I was told I'd never run again and I can because I've built my strength up!

DANCING

Dancing is wonderfully active! Get stuck in, have a good boogie.

GARDENING

Gardening is brilliant for you. Lifting the bags, the compost, digging, pulling, mowing, walking, it's all great!

RACKET SPORTS

Tennis, squash, badminton, all are brilliant high impact sports

AEROBICS

High impact aerobics is so good for both cardiovascular and bone health.

So in conclusion, walking, gentle aerobics, step machines, yoga and pilates are all good for you but they are not as good for you as the high impact things. Non-weight-bearing exercises, so cycling, canoeing, stretching, swimming etc, they're also all fine but then not going to help your bone strength.

CHILDRENS BONE STRENGTH

I don't believe our children aren't active enough these days and I worry that they spend too long at computer screens, iPads, phones, you name it! It's so bad for their entire bodies, not to mention their bone strength. I really urge my children to get active and to get moving as much as possible and get them involved in as much as possible. Mine do all have the same condition as me, so we work on strength, we work on exercises, I teach them how to do planks, we do squats, we do all sorts of things!