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Women Have Bone to Gain from Exercise

Many studies have shown that weight training and other weight-bearing exercises increase bone mass. Studies have suggested that women who are less fit actually get more benefit from such exercise. These authors tested that theory. They measured strength and bone mineral density (BMD) in women who had not yet hit menopause.

In this study, 31 women did one year of training. They exercised three times a week. Each exercise session included jumping exercises. The women also did squats, lunges, and calf raises using weights. Their BMD and strength was measured before and after the year of training.

The findings supported the theory. Women in the lowest range for strength had the biggest percentage improvement. In this group, strength increased two to five times as much as the group of the strongest women. It is important to note that women in the strongest group were still stronger. They had less room for improvement, so the exercise program didn't show major gains.

This was a very small study. The subjects were similar in age and were all at low risk for osteoporosis. More research is needed to really understand how exercise affects women's bones as they age. But it seems clear that weight-bearing exercise is very important for strong bones. The authors recommend that exercise programs be targeted to individual women. Women who are already strong might need different types of exercise programs to keep their bones as healthy as possible.

References: Kerri M. Winters-Stone and Christine M. Snow. Musculoskeletal Response to Exercise Is Greatest in Women with Low Initial Values. In Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. October 2003. Vol. 35. No. 10. Pp. 1691-1696.

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