A law known as Wolf’s law states that bone in a healthy person or animal will adapt to the loads it is placed under. If loading on a particular bone increases, the bone will remodel itself over time to become stronger to resist that sort of loading. Remodeling is basically how the bone breaks down and then places more bone on top. This law is essential to understand because it helps to promote healthier bones and keep the erector set of 206 mineral packed girders functioning at an optimal level. This is important to understand because as you age your internal chemical controls (hormones) help balance out the availability of the principal mineral in bone: CALCIUM.

As we age our musculoskeletal system takes a beating, particularly when it comes to the density of bones. When the bones become damaged or weakened they become susceptible to injuries like fractures. In addition to fractures there is an increase in pain and a decrease in mobility. Increasing your bone mineral density and bone mass at an early age can help prevent injuries of the elderly; help you feel younger.

Throughout your life your bones are actually remodeled. Your body will respond to loads and stresses placed on the bones. This causes your body to lay down more bone on top of the existing; increasing your bone mass and density. The more minerals that your bone contains (particularly calcium and phosphorus) the denser it will become. This becomes relevant as we age and begin to lose bone because bone is not replaced; however the loss can be minimized.

All bones need some form of stress to begin the development of an appropriate geometric support. In a physical sense, bone remodeling, maintaining calcium levels, and stress application are of the utmost importance. Of these three, maintaining calcium balance is the most important because about 98% of calcium is stored in bone. These forces or loads can produce an adaptive or maladaptive response from bone. Some of the forces are:

• Strain
• Tension
• Compression
• Ground Forces

Some factors that decrease bone development and loss are:

• Loss of estrogen production such as that in menopausal women.
• Age itself due to the loss of bone mass that happens naturally with advanced age.
• A diet poor in calcium.
• Those who are inactive because it is through activity that bone is remodeled in response to the stresses we put on it through activity.
• Using a high dose of corticosteroids over a period of 3 months or longer.
• Alcohol abuse and smoking.
• Amenorrhea (lack of menstrual period in women) due to over-exercise.
• Family history of osteoporosis.

Although research indicates that peak bone mass is developed by the age of 18, it can continue into the 30-something range. Sixty-percent of bone growth occurs in the adolescent period which is a critical period for nutrition and exercise. Peak bone mass occurs when bone growth has ceased. Aside from maintaining proper nutrition adding weight bearing exercised into your regimen will help your chances of keeping the bones strong.

Exercise in general is a great way to train your cardiovascular system, improve your breathing and reduce stress but a particular form of exercises can help you stay young by improving your bone density. These exercises involve placing forces and loads of stress on the bones. Some of the best exercises to do are:

• Resistance training
• Hiking
• Running
• Dancing
• Weight lifting
• Racquet sports
• Yoga
• Tai-Chi

Tai-Chi and Yoga provide muscle contraction and relaxation which produces stress to muscles and bones. In addition the various positions of these activities place stress on the muscles and bones.

Engineering weight-bearing exercises into your workout regimen will help place the needed stresses on your bones to improve their strength, increase the density, and stay young. Keep in mind that you need to do variations of weight bearing exercises in order to stress the different muscles and bones. Stressing the muscles is what will cause new bone to grow; doing the same weight bearing exercises repetitively will not achieve the overall goal.

Even if you have reached the point of full bone mass, weight bearing exercises can still have an impact on preventing injury, preventing fractures, and keeping you mobile. If you are suffering from any kind of bone thinning you should check with your physician about alternatives to full weight bearing exercises. Having your bone density evaluated by your physician, if needed, can help identify your current risks to developing osteoporosis. In addition you can help make sure you are getting the proper nutrition by ensuring your diet contains ample amounts of calcium, Vitamin D, and phosphorus. These elements are paramount to developing bone.