Bone health across the lifespan--exercising our options.

Exercise is frequently extolled as an osteoporosis treatment. In reality, the use of exercise as an osteoporosis intervention lies more in its ability to: 1) maximize peak bone mass attained in youth; 2) maintain bone mass or reduce age-related bone loss; and 3) preserve muscle strength and postural stability to reduce the risk of falling and fracturing in the later years.