Click to Expand

Bones may seem static and unchanging, as they are hard and cannot bend easily, but your bones are living tissue just like anything else in your body. In fact, they are constantly going through a process known as remodeling.

Remodeling: When stress is placed on your bones in the form of impact, signals are sent to certain cells (osteoclasts) to BREAK DOWN that part of the bone and then REBUILD it in response to the stress you put on it. In fact, a bone is shaped the way it is due to all the stresses placed on it. Bone markings, like ridges or crests, indicate muscle attachment points and the more that muscle is used, the thicker those protuberances on the bone become.

As an adult, about 10% of your skeleton is replaced every year. If you are trying to do yoga and cannot do certain moves because your hips are too tight, don’t worry, keep trying. Your skeleton is very much alive and responsive to the demands you give it.

If you don’t put any stress on your bones, they will simply break down without being rebuilt and, overtime, can lead to osteoporosis. That is why when people, especially women, get old and have avoided doing any sort of exercise all their life, they will eventually break a hip just by bumping into a wall.