By Gina Garippo, Pure Matters A study published in the journal
Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach analyzed the bone
density of 560 athletes, ages 47 to 93, who competed in the
Senior Olympic Games. They found that men and women who played
high-impact sports had much higher bone density than those who
participated in low-impact games. High-impact activities include
those that require almost continual running and jumping -- such
as track and field, road racing, and basketball. A Big Impact on
Bone Density The difference in bone density measurements between
adults playing high- and low-impact sports was significant.
Playing a high-impact sport improved bone density scores by 3
percent. That’s about the same percentage of decline caused by
some individual risk factors, such as age. Not everyone can
participate in high-impact activities. It may be better for
people with osteoarthritis and other chronic health problems to
stick with low-impact activities. Thankfully, any weight-bearing
exercise -- includin