Regular hopping exercises can help reduce the risk of suffering a fracture, a new study claims. The researchers said that their findings could play a major role in the prevention and management of osteoporosis, a disease that makes the bones brittle.
The study involved examining a group of 34 men aged between 65 and 80, who followed a programme of hopping exercises on just on leg for a period of one year. The participants were also told to avoid any other changes to their physical activities or dietary habits.
The results of the CT scans showed clear visual differences between the exercise and control legs. Dr Winston Rennie, a consultant radiologist who supervised the CT scans, said, “The bone maps show clear changes in bone, with localised adaptions at regions that may be important to reducing hip fracture,” according to the Daily Mail.
This study project was funded by a Medical Research Council interdisciplinary bridging award, while the bone mapping analysis by the National Osteoporosis Society.
