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Doctors on Call: We know you don’t want to, but you need to do your bones a favor

Exercise is that physical activity that helps improve health and fitness.

It’s also the physical activity that many of us hate to do.

But there’s no disputing the good that exercise does — even a relatively small amount. And now is a perfect time to start a program since May is Exercise Awareness Month.

The benefits of exercise are many. It benefits the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems.

And regular exercise can lead to weight loss, and overall health.

YOUR BONES

Bones are the supporting structures for the body. The minerals in bone are constantly turning over with the goal of maintaining consistent strength. With age, poor nutrition and lack of exercise, bones can become weaker with more breakdown than buildup, otherwise known as osteoporosis. Weak bones make you susceptible to breaks or fractures even with relatively minor trauma.

Exercise is an effective way to make bones stronger in combination with a healthy diet. Bones respond to stress (i.e., exercise) by becoming thicker. Typically, a combination of weight-bearing exercise (which means anything done on your feet — walking, running, jumping, etc.) and strength training exercise is recommended. Doing this combination exercise three times a week for 30 minutes to an hour per session will help maintain, and even improve, the strength of your bones.

YOUR JOINTS

Joints are the connections between the bones in the body. They are covered with cartilage, which acts as a natural cushion. With age, cartilage can degenerate, leading to arthritis. Exercise can also help patients suffering from arthritis.

It may seem counterintuitive, but joints can become stiff with inactivity and that can also cause the surrounding tissues to become weak.

Exercise not only keeps the joint fluid moving, which helps to provide nutrition to the surrounding cartilage, but also strengthens the surrounding tissues to help support your joints. It may not cure the degeneration in the joint, but it might help to decrease pain and increase motion.

YOUR MUSCLES

Muscles in your heart, arms, legs and trunk benefit significantly from a regular exercise program. Aside from the cardiovascular benefits, people who exercise also tend to be leaner than those who don’t.

Being lean not only benefits the heart and lungs, but also decreases joint pain because of a decrease in the force transmitted to the joint during normal activities of daily living, such as walking, squatting and sitting.

YOUR LIGAMENTS

Ligaments connect bones to other bones, while tendons connect muscles to bone. Without exercise, these structures lose strength and flexibility and lead to pain in the neck, back and extremities. Exercise helps to improve flexibility and posture, which has been shown to decrease the pain associated with stiffness.

Your mood and the way that you feel about yourself will improve with consistent exercise. Depression, anxiety and stress are common symptoms that can be treated in part by getting to the gym.

The hardest part of exercising is getting started. So, find an activity you enjoy, set some goals and get started.

Kevin Kaplan is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon at the Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute, San Marco. His subspecialty is sports medicine; he is an assistant team physician for the Jacksonville Jaguars and team physician for the Jacksonville Sharks and several other colleges and high schools. He is a member of the Duval County Medical Society.

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