Which FITT combination best describes bone-strengthening activities for children and adolescents?

• A. Greater than or equal to 2 days per week; light bone loading; 30 minutes per day; Walking and stretching
• B. Greater than or equal to 3 days per week; moderate to high bone loading; 60 minutes or more per day; Running, jump rope, basketball, tennis, resistance training, hopscotch
• C. Five days per week; high bone loading; 20 minutes per day; Jumping jacks only
• D. Daily; very high bone loading; 90 minutes per day; Sprinting and plyometrics

Answer: (B)

Bone-strengthening activities for children and adolescents should provide regular, substantial forces on the bones to stimulate growth and mineral accrual, while staying safe and age-appropriate. The best choice matches three key ideas: perform bone-loading activities on at least three days per week, use moderate to high loading that meaningfully stresses the bones, and accumulate a meaningful amount of time with a variety of weight-bearing activities that challenge the skeletal system.

This option fits because it prescribes at least three days per week, involves moderate to high bone loading, and recommends 60 minutes or more per day with activities such as running, jump rope, basketball, tennis, resistance training, and playful weight-bearing moves like hopscotch. It combines enough frequency, intensity, and duration to promote bone health during growth, and it includes a range of activities to safely load the bones in different ways.

The other choices fall short in either loading intensity, frequency, duration, or variety: one has only light loading and limited days; another emphasizes a single high-impact activity for a short duration; and the last suggests very high loading every day, which can increase injury risk for youth and isn’t typically recommended as a daily routine.