Last year, country music legend Loretta Lynn fell in her home and fractured her hip. A few years before the injury, the talented performer told People magazine: “I ain't going to do no exercise! I hate exercise!”

Well, research published in JAMA Network Open that looked at 77,206 women ages 50 to 79 over a 14-year span suggests Lynn's attitude and accident might be related to her injury.

The study found that women who exercised regularly were much less likely to fracture a hip than sedentary women. Even doing mild activities such as everyday walking and non-intense house or garden work qualifies.

Each year, women account for three-quarters of the 300,000 hip fractures that American seniors suffer. In part, that's because 80% of the 10 million folks in the U.S. with osteoporosis are women, and that condition causes bones to weaken and break more easily.

But whether you’re a woman or a man, you want to avoid a late-in-life hip fracture. It’s particularly important because people 65 or older who fracture their hip are 3.5 times more likely to die within 12 months than those who avoid such an injury.

The good news? Starting today, you can use exercise to help reduce your risk for this serious injury.

The study confirms that 150 minutes of moderate activity per week will make a difference. And you can get those benefits simply from maintaining an active lifestyle.

So plan daily walks (heading for 10,000 steps per day), work around the house, volunteer in a community garden, and chase your grandkids around the yard.

The point is to have fun while you protect yourself from dangerous falls and fractures.