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The BAD NEWS is that osteoporosis afflicts more than 10 million Americans, and 80% are women. Every woman, particularly those with amenorrhea and/or a family history of osteoporosis, should be concerned about this disease. The GOOD NEWS is that exercise can help prevent the progression of the disease and to some degree even help rebuild bone mineral density.

The best form of exercise to combat osteoporosis appears to be weightlifting. The BEST NEWS is that two studies from researchers in Seattle and Japan may have the answer to enhance the effect of exercise on bone formation. As reported in the Journal of Applied Physiology and the Journal of Bone Mineral Research, animals that performed about 20 repetitions of a loading exercise (such as jumping) done without rest between reps had some enhanced bone formation compared to non-exercising animals. Even better, when each rep was followed by a 10-30-second rest period, bone mass was significantly greater than the non-rest group.

Scientists believe this effect may have to do with the constant loading and unloading of the bones. So if you would like to promote better bone health, try incorporating singles into your training routine once a week. To do this, find a weight that's challenging but allows you to perform 15-20 reps with a 10-20-second rest between each rep (rack the weight between each rep). Choose one exercise per muscle group--multijoint exercises are best because they load more bone tissue--and perform one extended set each.

# posted by Medical Information : 3:37 AM