The examination of middle-aged women specialist teachers of physical education, who have undertaken habitual physical activity over many years, demonstrated a lower prevalence of osteoarthrosis in the knee joints, a greater prevalence of degenerative joint disease in the lumbar spine and a similar prevalence of osteoarthrosis in the hips, compared with a closely age-matched group. A further review 12 years later revealed significantly less joint pain and joint stiffness in active women compared with less active controls.