My mother-in-law is 75 and has osteoporosis. Her physician recently told her that with her degree of osteoporosis that exercise might be dangerous and that she could break a bone spontaneously, especially if she used heavy weights or "did the exercises wrong." What is your opinion on this?

I'm not a MD and can't second-guess her doctor - someone who has had the opportunity to examine her and assess her condition. However, I can tell you that many women with osteoporosis have followed this program and benefited from it. Perhaps her doctor would be willing to have her begin very conservatively under the supervision of a knowledgeable personal trainer, who can modify the program as needed for her individual limitations. Or maybe your mother would benefit from a second opinion from an osteoporosis specialist who is familiar with recent research on the benefits of strength training.