A new study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism reports that even small amounts of physical activity can increase bone health in premenopausal women.
Researchers from King Abdulaziz University Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia studied 1235 premenopausal women over 8 weeks of a physical activity regimen. They then compared bone strength in these women to another 62 women in a control group.
The women were divided into 4 groups based on their level of physical activity:
- Less than 30 minutes of exercise per week
- 30-60 minutes of exercise per week
- 60-120 minutes of exercise per week
- More than 120 minutes of exercise per week
Results showed that women in the 4th category (120 minutes or more of exercise per week) had higher levels of bone formation markers and considerably lower serum sclerostin compared to the control group.
“This is great news,” says Orthopedic Specialist, Dr. Lance Silverman. “We now know that 2 hours a week of any exercise leads to significant improvements in markers of bone health in premenopausal women. Even more interesting was with 2 hours/day of structured exercise, bone health was vastly improved. In short, a little exercise is good for bone health, a lot is even better!”
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