What an articulate and thought provoking article! Knowledge is indeed power. I agree, that a change in the definition of exercise would be a valuable one. Thank you for sharing!

Great article Rebekah. Your comment about the person being told not to exercise because of a broken ankle rang so true. Older people especially are so literal when listening to their doctor. "I have plantar fasaciitis, so my Dr. told me not to stand without my shoes on"...

The American College of Sports Medicines Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, ninth edition, provides aerobic and resistance FITT recommendations for individuals at risk for, including individuals with Osteoporosis. ACSMs bottom line, "Physical activity plays an important role in the primary and secondary prevention of osteoporosis by enhancing peak bone mass during growth, slowing the rate of bone loss with aging and preventing falls. Weight bearing aerobic and resistance exercise are essential to individuals at risk for and with osteoporosis. It is difficult to quantify the magnitude of bone loading forces, but they generally increase in parallel with exercise intensity."