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Just like a car can’t move without wheels, you can’t move without a properly functioning set of bones, joints, and muscles. To make sure you can continue to do everything from walking to scoring a perfect 10 on the pommel horse, you need to build a system of movement that not only gives you the power to move but also the power to do so pain-and problem-free. As essential as it is to keep your tires inflated, it’s as crucial that you do the few things that will keep your body comfortably set on cruise control on the interstate of life.

Action 1: Do the right amount—and all three kinds—of physical activity

Some people exercise to lose weight. Some exercise because it allows them to feel good, to reduce stress, to win races: And some people just love to sweat. But of all the reasons to be physically active, we think one trumps all the others: Do it to live younger. In fact, if you follow these steps, the result will be a RealAge royal flush—men who exercise right live eight years younger and women who do so live nine years younger.
Of course, an important reason to do physical activity is that it will help you lose weight and keep the weight off. If your body is a plastic grocery bag and you load it up with a loaf of bread, a box of rice, and a small bag of apples, everything’s just fine. Now drop a can of beans in a bag. Then another can. And another. Keep going. Eventually, if you add enough cans, the bag will break under the weight and strain. Your body works the same way—it can take only so much extra weight before it starts to break down. Physical activity, even a little in small doses, removes cans from your plastic bag and even strengthens the bag. It has an effect not only on your appearance and on other areas of your health, as we’ve talked about in previous chapters, but also on how your joints feel. (In one study, women who lost just ten pounds had a 50 percent lower risk of osteoarthritis.)
That said, because we all have different goals and reasons for exercising, we also all have different programs. A boxer’s training program is different from a marathoner’s, whose program is different from your cousin Lenny’s. We do know the value in extreme exercise—whether it’s for the thrills, glory, or emotional satisfaction—but you won’t be protecting your bones, joints, and muscles from the deterioration associated with aging; in fact, you’ll be doing it at their expense. What follows is our recommendation for the best bone-building exercise plan you can have.

BE KIND TO YOUR BODY

As doctors, we see all kinds of people and patients. We get to know not only their medical history but also their lifestyle passions—what makes their hearts tick, literally and figuratively. For instance, we’ve come across people who would choose open-heart surgery as a medical option rather than give up running; an athlete’s passion is admirable and the dedication impressive. Certainly, many people simply get addicted to exercise—addicted because it makes them feel good. But we also see what happens to people whose knees, shoulders, and hips take constant pounding from running, throwing, skiing, and playing tennis or basketball. Let’s return to the example of Arnold Schwarzenegger. As brainy as he is brawny, Arnold knew what to do when his body started slowing down. He had to cut back, or else he’d develop more pain and chronic problems, especially in his joints. So he tapered off to a lighter workout regimen. By taking some of the pressure off the very structure that gave him the unworldly ability to squat buses, he’s essentially ensuring that his bones and joints vill be back. So he incorporated a routine that decreased his weight training because he was doing way too much of it, and he increased his stamina training because he was doing way too little.
A quick note: Stamina training will not help your bones. Stamina training, as our plan in the cardiovascular chapter outlines, is all about strengthening your heart and keeping your arteries young. The problem with some cardiovascular training, like running and stair climbing, is that it whoops up on your bones and joints like a lion on raw meat (and usually does little for your muscles, depending on what kind of stamina training you’re doing). To live longer and best protect your joints from the onslaught of impact, the best stamina workouts you can do are swimming, rowing, cycling, and exercising on an elliptical machine. These activities elevate your heart rate, and they work various muscles (with swimming working just about every part of your body), but your joints don’t absorb the shock, trauma, and pounding of your body step after step. And that’s a major advantage to those people suffering from joint pain and osteoarthritis—they’re the best ways to maintain your cardiovascular health so your joints can recover. With swimming and cycling, you get the benefits of cardiovascular training without the stress. (Walking is also a super form of exercise, but most people don’t walk quickly enough to elevate their heart rates high enough to be classified as stamina training, although we recommend frequent walking—at least thirty minutes a day, no excuses—for overall health.) The perfect workout program actually includes both weight-bearing and non-weight-bearing stamina activities, because cross training—that is, choosing different types of stamina exercises on different days—helps you use different muscles. And strength training builds muscles. Those muscles will help support your joints without damaging them.

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