Is Beauty Only Skin Deep?

We live in a society in which looking good on the outside often times takes precedence over bettering ourselves on the inside. Isnt it easy and maybe even tempting to neglect our internal state of health while focusing only on how we appear externally? What if we could have the best of both worlds?

A study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine has shown that while exercise has profound effects on our appearance, it also results in significant internal health improvements. These researchers took 115 men and women ages 55-75 and placed them on a moderately intense exercise program. The program included stretching, resistance training and aerobics. What they found was that due to the exercise regimen, the decreasing bone mass typically seen in this age group was slowed down significantly, stopped, and in some cases reversed.

Our bones are not just inanimate masses of hard substance that do nothing but support the rest of our bodies. No, our bones are living tissue and they are constantly adapting to the stresses we put on them every day. Just like someone who works outdoors with their hands will develop calluses as opposed to a banker who ends up with soft hands, so our bones will adapt. For example, when astronauts come back from space, their bones are less dense than when they left. Because of the lack of gravity, they dont need to be as dense to stabilize the body. Conversely, when exercising, your bones are required to provide extra support and stabilization above and beyond what is normal, so they increase in mass and density as a response.

The issue of bone mass is of great concern to people of all ages. Studies have shown that the ideal way to slow the process of osteoporosis with age is actually to exercise and consume sufficient amounts of calcium, magnesium and vitamin D when you are an adolescent. Having said that, we can now also see that it is never too late to slow down, stop or even reverse the loss of bone mass by exercising and eating right. Developing a regular, moderate routine of exercise (after consulting a doctor) may be one of the most important things you can do for your health both on the outside and the inside.