Sedentary teens put their bone health on the line for life

Sedentary teens put their bone health on the line for life
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A recent study demonstrates that adolescents who have low activity endanger the health of their bones on a permanent basis.

An orthopedic professor at the University of British Columbia, Heather McKay, says that about 36% of the adult skeleton develops when growth spurts occur in adolescence and that physical activity is critical to developing Bone density and bone strength.

The study examined the behavior and bone health of girls aged 10 to 14 and boys aged 12 to 16 over a four-year period. The development of their bones was measured and their physical activities compiled.

According to the survey, only 43% of boys and 9% of girls met the 60-minute physical activity goal per day. The duration of this active period declined as adolescents grew older.

Of the approximately 300 adolescents who participated in the study, those with the most sedentary status had significantly lower bone density, which increased the risk of lifetime fractures and the tendency to have osteoporosis at one More advanced age.

Ms. McKay argued that the findings of the survey remind us that physical activity is not only important for cardiovascular health, but also for bone.

“We are reaching a point of critical destruction in terms of low levels of physical activity, which makes us think,” said Professor McKay, co-author of the study published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.

The prevention of fracture risk begins in childhood and adolescence, she explains, and it would not require so much effort.

Ms McKay argues that short periods of exercise scattered throughout the day or one hour of exercise per day can have a positive effect on the bone health of children and adolescents.

“These are tissues that react very quickly to what we do and react very quickly to what we do not do,” she suggests.


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Anna is an avid blogger with an educational background in medicine and mental health. She is a generalist with many other interests including nutrition, women's health, astronomy and photography. In her free time from work and writing, Anna enjoys nature walks, reading, and listening to jazz and classical music.

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