Osteoporosis affects nearly 20% of women and 5% of men aged 50 and above. These statistics are bad, but they do show that this condition is not an inevitable part of aging.
So, what can you then do to avoid or even reverse osteoporosis?
A new study in Scientific Reports reveals the answer to this question. And it’s an easy activity that many people find enjoyable.
The authors of this paper investigated how sedentary activity levels and physical activity levels were associated with bone mineral density (BMD) and body fat percentage.
Their study examined data from 9,787 Americans aged between 20 to 59 years who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2011 to 2018.
They measured their participants’ BMD and body fat percentage via x-ray scans and used a questionnaire to assess their physical activity habits or lack thereof.
After ensuring that factors other than activity level, such as body-mass index, smoking, alcohol and uric acid, cholesterol, calcium, vitamin D, and phosphorus levels, did not interfere with their results, they found the following associations:
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1. Sedentary activity reduced BMD, especially in the lumbar spine.
2. Sedentary activity increased the participants’ body fat percentage.
3. Physical activity increased BMD, especially the lumbar spine, and reduced body fat percentage.
The scientists emphasized the importance of physical exercise and urged healthcare providers to guide their patients towards physical activity and away from a sedentary lifestyle.