| As a child growing up, do you remember comparing | | | | Each time you contract a muscle, a force is exerted |
| your height to every relative who stood still for five | | | | on that bone. Any activity, in fact, that builds muscle |
| minutes? Remember your joy as you slowly grew | | | | also places stress on your bone and helps to build |
| taller than an aunt or your mother? | | | | bone mass. |
| As an adult, when you re-visited some of these ladies, | | | | While activities like yoga and tai chi build bone mass, |
| now getting along in years, were you surprised to | | | | one of the most widely known ways is through weight |
| discover they were shorter than you recalled? Did you | | | | lifting. Now before you begin to form images in your |
| just chalk it up to your - as an adult - being taller now? | | | | head of what you believe the average weight lifter |
| The fact is, your female relatives may very well have | | | | looks like, let us just add something. Weight lifting isn't |
| lost several inches in height. They could, indeed, be | | | | necessarily the domain of just those |
| shrinking... | | | | testosterone-energized men out to out build their |
| The average woman stands to lose between 2 | | | | muscles. And if you decide to lift weights, you needn't |
| ½ to eight inches of her height once she | | | | worry about developing overstuffed muscles like the |
| reaches menopause. Many medical experts believed | | | | woman competitive lifters. |
| at one time that this loss was inevitable. Now the | | | | But, there are some outstanding - and astounding - |
| medical community realizes that it isn't. | | | | benefits that accompany this particular exercise. Just |
| The loss in height is related to osteoporosis, which is a | | | | read the results of this study conducted by Miriam |
| lessening of the density of the bone. While this occurs | | | | Nelson, Ph.D. of Tufts University. |
| in both men and women, it's more common - and | | | | Dr. Nelson took two groups of post-menopausal |
| more noticeable - in women. One of the best ways to | | | | women. Neither group was taking hormone |
| prevent this - in addition to taking supplemental calcium | | | | replacement therapy nor was either group already |
| - is through a regular fitness routine. | | | | enrolled in a fitness program at the start of the study. |
| As you reach 40 years of age, it becomes | | | | One group remained sedentary, the other began a |
| increasingly vital to start a regular exercise program. | | | | simple weight lifting program. They only exercised |
| Retaining your bone mass (and thus your height) is | | | | twice a week for 40 minutes at a time. At the end of |
| only one benefit of exercise. Staying fit reduces your | | | | one year, the woman who lifted weights had vastly |
| risk of developing any of a number of health problems | | | | improved results in their strength tests. In fact, their |
| associated with your cardiovascular system, diabetes | | | | scores matched those of women in their late 30s and |
| and even cancer. | | | | early 40s. And just about all the women lost inches |
| Before you set out on your new routine, you should | | | | from their body - if not weight - without changing their |
| make it a priority to choose an exercise or group of | | | | diets. |
| exercises that provide you with a sense of pleasure. | | | | But the most delightful transformation in these women |
| Don't jump on any exercise of fitness fad because it | | | | was seen in how they spent their free time. They |
| seems to be popular. Before you commit yourself, ask | | | | were freed from the sedentary life they once lived. |
| yourself what activities you could visualize yourself | | | | Some of these post menopausal women took up |
| participating in for the rest of your life. If you actually | | | | canoing... others began to go dancing on a regular |
| enjoy the specific exercise, you're much more likely to | | | | basis... still others participated in in-line skating. |
| continue with it faithfully. | | | | The bottom line is that there are few "fitness musts" |
| Consider, though, some type of weight-bearing | | | | for women over 40. In fact, the only real "must" in the |
| exercise. This type of activity helps build the strength | | | | fitness realm is to select an activity or two and keep |
| of bones through the stimulation of the mineralization | | | | on doing it. The more active you stay, the stronger |
| and remodeling process. Every major muscle in your | | | | your bones will be . . . the taller you'll stand for the rest |
| body is attached to an underlying bone by tendons. | | | | of your long, healthy life! |