Discuss the role of physical activity in reducing the risk for osteoporosis

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Physical activity may be the single most important factor supporting bone growth during adolescence. Muscle strength and bone strength go together. When muscles work, they pull on the bones, stimulating them to grow denser. The hormones that promote new muscle growth also favor the building of bone. As a result, active bones are denser and stronger than sedentary bones. Both the muscle contraction and the gravitational pull of the body's weight create a load that benefits bone metabolism.
To keep bones healthy, a person should engage in weight training or weight-bearing endurance activities (such as tennis and jogging or sprint cycling) regularly. Regular physical activity combined with an adequate calcium intake helps to maximize bone density in adolescence. Adults can also maximize and maintain bone density with a regular program of weight training. Even past menopause, when most women are losing bone, weight training improves bone density. Heavier body weights and weight gains place a similar stress on the bones and promote their density. In contrast, weight losses reduce bone density and increase the risk of fractures—in part because energy restriction diminishes calcium absorption and compromises calcium balance.