STRENGTHEN YOUR BONES, STRENGTHEN YOUR BODY
Exercise may be the missing ingredient for your bone health
Most of us know that calcium and vitamin D play a key role in strengthening our bones – but what about physical activity? Conditions such as osteoporosis and osteopaenia are known as ‘silent diseases’ because they often have no symptoms until a fall or fracture occurs. The current estimate for Australians living with osteoporosis is 15% for women and 3% for men, although it is thought that there are many more people who aren’t aware that their bone density is dropping.
Women are particularly susceptible to osteoporosis and osteopaenia after menopause, due to the rapid decline in circulating oestrogen. So what can be done about it? Here are the top three reasons why exercise should be part of your bone health plan across the lifetime, to strengthen your bones and strengthen your body – and why it’s not too late to start now!
1. Exercise during adolescence builds up your ‘bone bank’.
A systematic review on exercising during the teenage years confirms that there is a window of opportunity during this time to build as much bone as possible. Think of this as a bank account with a deadline – being physically active during adolescence has been shown to positively affect bone size, strength and
Could exercise be the missing ingredient for your bone health?
mass for the rest of the lifespan. During the later years, bone density naturally starts to decline, so the higher you can commence with, the better.
2. Exercise as an adult further fortifies
your bones.
Research shows that as an adult, specific exercise programs increase bone mineral density at the neck of the femur and the lumbar spine (common fracture sites in older adults). The best exercises for bone density involve impact, such as jumping, stairclimbing, as well as strengthening with weights or other forms of resistance. Although movements such as swimming and cycling are great for overall health, it’s important to remember that activities such as walking, jogging and dancing have a stronger influence on bone shaping and strengthening.
3. Exercise in older adults should be considered a non-negotiable.
Later in life, exercise is essential, but there is limited research in building up bones for older adults. Instead, physical activity should be included for overall wellness and function. Muscle weakness and loss is also a well-documented phenomenon which occurs in older age and resistance training is widely accepted to be the solution. Aside from physical function and wellbeing, exercise has also been shown to have an ‘anti-ageing’ effect on adults of all ages by preventing the biological breakdown of DNA – known as telomere shortening. Exercise is also vital in preventing falls, particularly programs which challenge balance and are completed frequently. The take home message: Just because you can’t see your bones ageing, doesn’t mean that they don’t require your attention! Exercise is vital across all ages for strengthening your skeleton. An Accredited Exercise Physiologist can get you started with a program, tailored to your needs.