A week ago Saturday I was carrying my 40-pound collie, Miguel, down the hardwood stairs in our house. He’s old, doesn’t see or hear so well and has a really bad back. Half way down the stairs, my boot heel skidded out from under me sending my feet into the air and my lower back and elbows slamming against the edge of a stair tred. The initial pain was so intense that I had to sit on the stairs for a couple of minutes for fear I was going to either throw up or pass out. In the end, I walked away with one of the biggest ugliest bruises ever and a sore lower back. Otherwise I’m fine. I’m pretty sure a lot of people my age — I’m 43 — would have been in the ER with a broken bone. I attribute my strong bones to running.

Medical experts have long known that running and other weight-bearing exercises, including resistance training create stronger bones. But now, Mizzou researchers have found that running and similar high impact exercises are even better than resistance training when it comes to increasing and preventing the loss of bone mineral density. See study findings here.