Researchers find vibration really helps bones.

Exercise is more important than you think.

Further details on what happens when you exercise.

Vibration Helps Bones

NY Times: Based on a study of mice standing on a vibrating plate 15 minutes a day 5 days a week, researchers are finding that fat is being converted into something else, bone!

They are finding that the vibrations appear to stimulate the fat cells inside your bones to turn back into bone by stimulation. They are not 100% sure the exact causes, however one theory is that the fat cell in your bones retains its memory as a bone cell and that stimulation provides the signal to turn it back into bone.

Over the years, he (Dr. Rubin) and his colleagues discovered that high-magnitude signals, like the ones created by the impact as foot hits pavement, were not the predominant signals affecting bone. Instead, bone responded to signals that were high in frequency but low in magnitude, more like a buzzing than a pounding.

“That makes sense, he (Dr. Rubin) went on, because muscles quiver when they contract, and that quivering is the contract to keep them upright. As people age, they lose many of those postural muscles, making them less able to balance, more apt to fall and, perhaps, prone to loss of bone. “

How Important Is Exercise?

One of my favorite recent books is “Younger Next Year” by Chris Crowley and Henry S. Lodge M.D.

In this book they really get into the fundamentals of exercise and why regular exercise is so critical for your health.

According to this book, based on recent medical research, regular muscle movement is actually a master signal for life.

When your muscles are stimulated, they initiate a

chemical process in our bodies that says ”This person is a functioning member of our environment, keep him or her alive”.

This signal comes from millions of years of evolution where only the fittest can survive. Before the last millennium, there were limited resources for our survival and nature made sure that only functioning being capable of carrying on the species stayed around

This may sound harsh, but think of it in terms of the Darwinian selection process; in order to evolve; only the best performing species were allowed to survive.

“Being sedentary is the most important signal for decay. Your body watches what you so and your physical behavior every day like a hawk”.

Chemical Reactions and Exercise

Lets get a little more in depth on the chemical reactions when you exercise: Inside your muscles is a compound the authors in the book “Younger Next Year” call Cytokine -6. (They stress that they have vastly simplified a very complex process for the reader)

This compound is very caustic (like paint stripper) and causes deterioration to the cells. It is actually there for a good reason to cause inflammation and break down old cells in order to

make room for new ones. The problem is when we are sedentary, there is a slow leak of this chemical into your blood stream causing inflation, disease and eventually death.

How do we counteract that process? When our muscles are really stimulated, they release a lot of the C-6 which causes a new reaction and a compound to come rushing in called C-10.

C-10 is actually the master rebuilding signal that is only

activated when there are elevated signals of C-6 . C-10 sends signals for new cells to be created and to create a stronger healthier body.

So, if you exercise on a regular basis, you could actually live a longer and healthier life!

Please note for you scientists out there, the authors were quick to note that they vastly over simplified the process.