Bone Health Across the Lifespan???Exercising Our Options

In Brief BECK, B. R., and C. M. Snow. Bone health across the lifespan—exercising our options. Exerc. Sport Sci. Rev., Vol. 31, No. 3, pp. 117–122, 2003. Exercise is frequently extolled as an osteoporosis treatment. In reality, the use of exercise as an osteoporosis intervention lies more in its ability to: 1) maximize peak bone mass attained in youth; 2) maintain bone mass or reduce age-related bone loss; and 3) preserve muscle strength and postural stability to reduce the risk of falling and fracturing in the later years. The effect of exercise on the skeleton is discussed with an emphasis on age-specific responses and recommendations.