Exercise seems to cause changes in the bone marrow and increases bone strength. In particular, exercise burns bone fat in the marrow.
According to the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, exercise increases bone quality and the amount of bone present. And obese people derive the most benefit.
Dr. Maya Styner, assistant professor of endocrinology and metabolism, said that “In just a very short period of time, we saw that running was building bone significantly”.
Weight-bearing exercise has previously been shown to strengthen bones. But here it is aerobic exercise. The researchers felt this could have significance in all cases of bone weakness, from those with arthritis, anorexia and even those on steroid medications and bone-weakening drugs.
Chris Woollams, former Oxford University Biochemist and CANCERactive founder added, "We are seeing so much research on exercise lately - it helps sensitise cancer cells through increasing oxygen so more get killed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy; it produces endorphins, or happy hormones, which neutralise cortisol, one of the drivers of inflammation and thus metastases, and here it strengthens your bones. It can even be the chemotherapy drug that causes bone weakness which cancer exploits. You don’t have to go mad. Just try to exercise for 45 minutes a day, and get puffed."