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I have some wonderful medical news for women who are worried about the bone loss disease osteoporosis that tends to affect women as they mature. This is also very important news for men who love their spouses and want to see them stay strong and healthy.

Researchers at the University of Arkansas have discovered that doing strenuous yard work is one of the best exercises women can do to build and maintain healthy bones.

The study - done by lady researchers I might add - found that women who worked in gardens had healthier bones than women who did almost any other exercise.

This, of course, is wonderful news for women and also great news for their husbands who right now are cheering loudly and giving each other high fives.

I mentioned this new discovery to my wife, Madeline, the other day as I danced around the kitchen waving the article around like it was a freshly minted pardon from the governor.

"Let me see that," she said grabbing the pardon, I mean the article, from my hands.

"This is just the icing on the cake,'' she said after reading it. "Not only do we women have to bear the children, do the majority of the housework, hold full time jobs, but now yard work is healthy for us."

"I thought you'd be pleased,'' I said innocently.

"How come they never do studies that find doing housework is beneficial to men?"

Builds strong bones

The University of Arkansas study found that women who did "heavy and arduous work" in the garden achieved greater bone density than through any other activity. Mowing the grass, clipping hedges, spading the garden, weeding and even digging fence holes are evidently just the ticket to build strong bones as women get older.

In fact, yard work as an exercise ranked higher than dancing, aerobics, swimming or bungee jumping. It's right up there with weight lifting for building strong bones and doesn't produce those unsightly muscle bulges on women.

"Hon, just think about how blessed you are to be living in four season Michigan where you can not only do all the gardening and lawn care in summer, but also rake up all the leaves in the fall, clean the gutters, trim tree branches, chop firewood and shovel the snow off the roof," I offered.

"Wait a minute," she objected. "It doesn't say anything about all that other stuff," she protested. "You're making that up."

"Well, I'm just offering some healthy suggestions to keep your bones strong all year round," I said. "I'm even thinking cleaning the garage and painting the house might also fall under beneficial yard work."

She eyed me suspiciously.

"Why the sudden urge for me to do things you said were backbreaking work?" she asked.

"That's just the point. It's hard and arduous work. And now you can do it because it's scientifically beneficial for you," I said.

"By the way, what color wheel barrel and shovel should I get you?" I asked. "How about work boots? Do you want flowers on them?"

- Myron Kukla

Myron Kukla is the author of several books of humor including Guide to Surviving Life available at www.squareup.com/store/myronkuklabooks. He is a regular contributor to the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop blog.