[Physical activity and bone mineral content in postmenopausal women]

A review of 18 cross-sectional and 29 prospective studies provides evidence that physical exercise causes an increase in bone mineral content or at least preserves the bone mass of both younger and older postmenopausal women. This is true both for women with normal and with reduced bone mineral content. Regular weight-bearing exercises seem to be especially effective. There are no randomized studies which have been able to prove that physical exercise reduces the incidence and prevalence of low-energy fractures, but this reduction seems probable.