The claim: Jumping 10 times a day twice a day provides greater bone-building benefits than running or jogging, reports a study in the American Journal of Health Promotion.
The research: Sixty premenopausal women, ages 25 to 50, significantly increased their hip bone bone mineral density after four months by .5% by jumping 10 times a day, twice a day and taking short breaks (30 seconds) between each jump. Doesn't sound like a lot of gain? Consider this: the controls lost about 1.3% of their bone density over the same period. “Women jumped as high as they could from the floor,” says lead study researcher Larry Tucker, PhD. No box, shoes, or pads were used.
What it means: Although bone density increases most rapidly during adolescence, the process slows with age. Peak bone mass happens around age 25 and then declines. Five to seven years after menopause women may lose up to 20% or more bone density. To make matters worse, as we age we’re less likely to perform high-impact, bone-building activities. This new study shows a way to keep bones strong throughout life. “Our study showed significant benefits over time,” says Dr. Tucker. “Women have to do the jumps daily to get the benefits. In addition, keep in mind, as women age it's more and more difficult to improve bone density.” Note: the study did not include women with osteoporosis; hopping may not be recommended in these cases, says Dr. Tucker.
The bottom line: You should be jumping 10 times a day, twice a day—even if you go for a daily jog. "Running and jogging have less impact on bone density because of the repeated bone stress," says Dr. Tucker. If you've been more sedentary than active most of your life, you may still be able to regain bone strength. “However, the earlier in life a woman stresses her bones, the more benefits she will likely see,” says Dr. Tucker.
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Linda Melone is a certified trainer and a health and fitness writer. In addition to Prevention, she writes regularly for Health, Livestrong, Shape, NextAvenue and many others. She lives in California but pines for her New York roots. Follow her on Twitter: @LindaMelone or visit her at www.LindaMelone.com.
