I wish someone had told me when I was 30 that I should look after my bones! For both men and woman, age 30 is when you have the maximum strength and density in your bones. It’s downhill all the way after that unless you put some stress on those bones.

So nobody mentioned all this when I was 30! Never heard of osteoporosis. Old ladies had dowager humps. I didn’t know why.

It hasn’t been that long since osteoporosis has come to the forefront. Now we know that osteoporosis is a disease in which bones become fragile, lose mass and are more likely to fracture. It’s not just woman who get osteoporosis either. According the the National Osteoporosis Foundation, more than 44 million Americans are affected by osteoporosis. That includes me.

I have discovered that one of the most important things you can do to ward off or reverse osteoporosis is to exercise with weights. Stress and strain on your bones stimulates the formation of new dense bone. Your bone cells are constantly breaking down to be replaced with new stronger cells if they are stressed.

To keep your bones strong you need sufficient calcium, vitamin D, and weight bearing exercise. If you continue this kind of exercise you will minimize bone loss later in life. No matter what your age, if you engage in regular weight bearing exercise you will maintain higher bone density.

If you have been a couch potato, chances are your bones are losing mass and becoming brittle. So get up off that couch and strengthen those bones. Your bone mass can be increased as much as 5 to 10 percent or more by exercising with weights.

Exercise is good for the cardiovascular and respirator system - it improves the circulation of blood throughout the body. Exercise increases your good cholesterol level. Exercise maintains strong and healthy bone and muscle. Bone density and bone mass are increased. Stress and depression reduced. Exercise even helps in getting a good night’s sleep.

You will notice the benefits of an exercise program when your body starts firming up. Fat will start burning off, and even if you can’t see your bones, they will also be benefitting from your exercise. ( I know mine have. ) Adding muscle to your body through weight training will often increase your metabolic rate. If you increase your metabolism you increase the amount of fat burning enzymes in your body. This means you will burn more body fat even at rest.

If you are anywhere over 30 there is no better time than now to build and maintain your bones with a vigorous weight training program. It doesn’t have to take up a lot of your time. Exercising vigorously for a surprising minimal amount of time a day will not only increase your bone mass, but you will gain muscle strength, lose weight, and achieve a body fitness you will love.

Copyright (c) 2007 Marsh Nelson