It's something even some doctors dare to say: "Exercise to strengthen your bones!". It has been in magazines, tv shows, even to advertise exercise equipment. Is it true? Well, by now you can guess the answer: it is false. Where did it come from? Well, it might have something to do with the fact that when one is bedridden, they tend to lose bone density. People then began to believe that, by default, this must mean that being up and active, not only prevents bone loss, but strengthens bones too. Over a decade ago, it was tested whether exercise actually did anything. Their studies "failed to find anything more than a minuscule exercise effect — on the order of 1 percent or less, which is too small to be clinically significant... There was no evidence that bone was gained when people walked or ran" (www.nytimes.com). One might argue that these and other tests show some effect, and that this is enough to prove exercise helps. But, in reality, "there is no evidence that they make bone stronger or protect it from osteoporosis" (www.nytimes.com). Now, that doesn't mean exercise is useless and you can just avoid it. After all, it does strengthen your muscles!
Verdict: FALSE
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