Physical Activity and Exercise during Adolescence and Young Adulthood Can Act as Preventative Measures against the Development of Osteoporosis in Elderly People

Osteoporosis, “the silent killer,” is responsible for 8.9 million annual fractures. Although not bound to these factors, osteoporosis typically targets females that are post-menopausal and have a family history of the disease. Osteoporosis is caused by a decrease in bone mass density. Physical activity and exercise and often spoken about when the topic of osteoporosis is discussed because of the impact they have on maintaining bone mass density in an effort to delay osteoporosis. This paper first provides an overview of osteoporosis, explanation of methods of diagnosing osteoporosis, risk factors, complications and treatment for osteoporosis. Topics covered include, bone mass density, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, Z-score & T-scores, kyphoplasty, the mechanostat theory, and weight-bearing activities. The focus of this paper is to look at the relationship between exercise and childhood within the interest of osteoporosis. Instead of looking at physical activity and exercise’s impact on the elderly, at look is taken at building bone mass density and strength during adolescence and young adulthood as a means of combating osteoporosis in elderly people. This paper was created as a Wayne State University HON 4998 requirement. As a female, Kinesiology Major, and Radiologic Technologist, the topic of osteoporosis seemed to be the perfect fit for research, and I found this topic of great interest