Final answer:
Weight-bearing exercises such as walking, running, and dancing contribute most to building strong bones.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of exercise that contributes most to building strong bones is weight-bearing exercise. This type of exercise is any activity that requires the muscles and bones to work against gravity, such as walking, running, or dancing. When you perform weight-bearing exercises, your bones are required to support your body weight, which stimulates bone growth and strengthens them.
For example, when you go for a run, the impact on your bones from each footstrike helps to create small microdamage. Your body then repairs this damage by laying down new bone tissue, making your bones stronger and denser over time. Other weight-bearing exercises include jumping rope, hiking, or playing basketball.
It's important to note that non-weight-bearing exercises, like swimming or cycling, are great for cardiovascular fitness and overall health, but they do not provide the same bone-strengthening benefits as weight-bearing exercises.
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