Exercise ‘can help address bone loss in middle-aged men’

Certain types of weight-lifting and jumping exercises can help address bone loss in middle-aged men who may be at risk of osteoporosis.

A new study from the University of Missouri has indicated that these exercises, when completed for at least six months, can improve bone density in active, healthy, middle-aged men with low bone mass.

For this research, a group of 38 men completed either a weight-lifting programme or a jumping programme for a year, involving 60 to 120 minutes of targeted exercises each week. Participants also took calcium and vitamin D supplements throughout.

Bone mass of the whole body and lumbar spine significantly increased after six months of completing the programmes, an increase that was maintained at 12 months.

This indicates that these exercises may help prevent osteoporosis by facilitating bone growth, according to the researchers.

Pam Hinton, an associate professor at the University of Missouri, said: "Our study is the first to show that exercise-based interventions work to increase bone density in middle-aged men with low bone mass who are otherwise healthy."