Rhythmic gymnastics, the graceful display of physical strength, calisthenics, and agility, often performed with colorful ribbons and hoops, also helps adolescent girls develop healthier and stronger bones.
A new study out of the University of Athens in Greece, evaluated the bone health of 26 girls, aged 9 to 13, who were expert rhythmic gymnasts and who had trained for at least two years, and 23 girls in the same age group who had only participated in traditional physical education-related activity. The researchers discovered that the girls who had undergone intensive rhythmic gymnastic training had increased bone health, establishing a relationship between weight-bearing exercises and increased bone density and strength.
Dr. Symeon Tournis, lead author of the study says their findings "show that training in rhythmic gymnastics significantly improves bone health in adolescent girls. Given that osteoporosis traits start in childhood, it is possible to speculate that if girls maintain their gymnastic training beyond adolescence, even if their training is less intensive, they may have a reduced risk of bone fracture later in life."
The investigation also claimed that if a girl takes up rhythmic gymnastics in adolescence, her activities will make her bones strong and protect her from osteoporosis during menopause.
A separate study found increased in bone mineral content and cortical (outer shell of the bone) thickness in female gymnasts six years after retirement from the sport.
Risk of osteoporosis decreases for active people, particularly for those who do weight-bearing activities such as weight-lifting, jogging, step aerobics, dancing, and other activities that require your muscles to work against gravity.
