If you do one thing this week. . . exercise to help your bones while young

CAN PHYSICAL exercise in your early 20s help bones develop? A study of more than 800 men suggests it can.

The project took measurements at baseline and then followed up five years later.

It found that men who reported being physically active in their early 20s showed increased bone mineral content and density in their mid-20s.

“The men who increased or maintained high levels of physical activity also developed larger and thicker bones in their lower arms and legs,” says researcher Mattias Lorentzon from the University of Gothenburg in a release.

“These findings suggest that maintaining or, ideally, increasing physical activity can improve bone growth in our youth, which probably reduces the risk of fractures later on.”

The study was published earlier this year in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.