Exercise that stresses your bones (weight-bearing exercise, such as walking or tennis) can help preserve bone mass as you age. But, how? “We had previously shown that either weight lifting or jump training (such as jumping on one or both legs) increased bone mineral density in men (ages 25 to 60) with low bone mass,” says Pam Hinton, PhD, an associate professor at the University of Missouri in Columbia. “Now, we’ve found that 12 months of weight lifting or jump training in these men decreased circulating levels of a protein (sclerostin) that blocks bone formation. At the same time, the training increased levels of a hormone (IGF-1) that supports bone formation.” The research included 38 men and appears in the journal Bone.
To learn more: Bone, March 2017