Originally published January 15 2006
Australian exercise expert recommends running and jumping to establish strong bones while you are young
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Belinda Beck, from the school of physiotherapy and exercise science at Griffith University in Queensland, talks about the importance of jumping and running activities in youth, which establish a bank of bone density that will protect against diseases like osteoporosis as your bones age.
Activities that involve running and jumping help children build healthy bones and reduce their risk for osteoporosis in old age, an Australian expert says.
Osteoporosis, or brittle bones, is a particular risk for women because their skeletons aren't as large or dense as male skeletons, and they experience accelerated bone loss after menopause, says Belinda Beck, from the school of physiotherapy and exercise science at Griffith University in Queensland.
If a substantial bone "bank" is not established in youth, loss that occurs during the remainder of life can place an individual at increased risk for fracturing a bone in later years.
Genes largely determine bone mass and the effects of exercise on it, Beck says, but a lifetime of sedentary behaviour will produce a weaker skeleton than if a person had been very active.
Furthermore, bone mass gained through exercise is lost if the person adopts a sedentary lifestyle.
She says bone's responsiveness to exercise declines with age, and therefore timing is very important for bone loading.
"If you load when you are acquiring bone (in childhood and youth), then you get the best effect and this reduces risk of fracture later in life."
High-intensity exercises such as running and jumping are best, Beck says.
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