Bone health is a key issue throughout our lives – from traumatic fractures to stress fractures in athletes right through to osteopenia and osteoporosis in older people. But how can we maintain strong healthy bones to reduce all these negative things? The answer is exercise.
As we get older we can suffer bone loss which can lead to osteopenia or osteoporosis. This bone loss is related to a loss of muscle mass and strength BUT this means that we can also fight against that bone loss! Strength and resistance training programs (doing exercise other than cardio) can improve your bone health and prevent bone breakdown!
It’s not just relevant to older people but active people too! A study found that male runners who had resistance training incorporated into their programs had a higher bone mineral density than other runners or untrained peers. This means that runners could prevent injuries such as stress fractures from performing resistance training!
We love prevention!!
So here’s 3 resistance exercises to get you started!
Bicep Curl
- Sit or stand with good posture, ensure shoulders are pulled back and not rounded
- Hold weights, arms relaxed at sides, palm facing frontwards
- Bend elbows, curling weights to shoulders
- Slowly lower weights back to the starting position
Tricep Extension
- Lie on your back with arms by your sides, weight in the left hand, and the left elbow bent
- Reach your hand toward the ceiling until your left elbow is straight
- Allow the left elbow to bend slowly until the weight is resting at the side of your head near the left ear
- Straighten your left elbow, lifting the weight toward the ceiling
- Repeat on the right side
Squat
- Stand with good posture, feet shoulder-width apart
- Free weight in either hand
- Initiate squat by bending at the hips
- Rise up at the hips
Need help?
Contact our expert Exercise Physiologists (EPs) for friendly advice and support.
Reference Sources: Bailey, C. A., & Brooke-Wavell, K. (2010). Optimum frequency of exercise for bone health: randomised controlled trial of a high-impact unilateral intervention. Bone, 46(4), 1043-1049. || Bettis, T., Kim, B., J., & Hamrick, M., W. (2018). Impact of muscle atrophy on bone metabolism and bone strength: implications for muscle-bone crosstalk with aging and disuse. Osteoporosis International, 1-8. doi: 10.1007/s00198-018-4570-1 || Duplanty, A. A., Levitt, D. E., Hill, D. W., McFarlin, B. K., Dimarco, N. M., & Vingren, J. L. (2018). Resistance training is associated with higher bone mineral density among young adult male distance runners independent of physiological factors. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 32(6), 1594-1600. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000002504 || Laurent, M., R. (2018). Bone: best papers of the year 2017. Archives of Osteoporosis, 13 (29). doi:10.1007/s11657-018-0437-5 || Von Stengel, S., Kemmler, W., Kalender, W. A., Engelke, K., & Lauber, D. (2007). Differential effects of strength versus power training on bone mineral density in postmenopausal women: a 2-year longitudinal study. British journal of sports medicine, 41(10), 649-655.