Exercise Early and Often: Effects of Physical Activity And Exercise On Women’s Bone Health

Physical activity is a widely accessible, low cost, and highly modifiable contributor to bone health. Exercise is especially effective during adolescence, a time period when nearly 50% of peak adult bone mass is gained. High-impact exercises such as jumping or hopping, or resistance training combined with high- or odd-impact activities, are most consistently effective for bone. For older women who have risk factors that prevent them from participating in high-impact activities, other weight-bearing activities such as resistance training, specific yoga postures, or walking, may maintain or improve bone.