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Sat 17 Jun, 2006 07:44 pm
In order for exercise to increase bone density, the exercise must be weight bearing.
Cycling and swimming are good for the heart, but offer very few benefits for the bones.
What about lifting weights? Or working out with resistance machines?
That, and working out on an elliptical.
Walking also, but the elliptical involves no pounding.
I love mine.
Weight-bearing exercise is activity that works the bones and muscles against gravity. Walking/hiking, weight training with free weights or machines. Also stair climbing, step aerobics, tennis, yard work.
I am utterly in love with the elliptical trainer. I keep trying to do other things and then go back to it. It's a really lovely combination of weight-bearing and low-impact. (And I dunno if I would've started if it wasn't for Chai, thanks Chai!)
I recently saw a study that stated that little girls (under 9) who do things like jump rope or bounce on a trampoline develope better bone density for the rest of their lives. It only works during the very early years. Good reason to get the little ones a jump rope. For the older women it was weight bearing exercises like light lifting and walking while holding small hand weights.
I love training with free weights. It increases your stamina. Also Pilates, just you and your body, you don't need machines. I derive so much energy and my bone density has been increased. I saw Sally Fields in a commercial promoting medication to combat osteoporoses. That's scary, she still looks like a 15 year old but she claims she has to take Boniva or something to prevent her bones from turning to dust.
It's always been my belief that all exercise help not only our bones and muscles, but our general health. I never thought over-exertion was necessary to good health.
cicerone imposter wrote:It's always been my belief that all exercise help not only our bones and muscles, but our general health. I never thought over-exertion was necessary to good health.
Very true. Over-exertion can kill even the young, supposedly healthy individuals.
Green Witch wrote:I recently saw a study that stated that little girls (under 9) who do things like jump rope or bounce on a trampoline develope better bone density for the rest of their lives. It only works during the very early years. Good reason to get the little ones a jump rope. For the older women it was weight bearing exercises like light lifting and walking while holding small hand weights.
You can even walk while carrying a 10 pound sack of sugar in each hand. :wink:
Miller wrote:cicerone imposter wrote:It's always been my belief that all exercise help not only our bones and muscles, but our general health. I never thought over-exertion was necessary to good health.
Very true. Over-exertion can kill even the young, supposedly healthy individuals.
"No pain, no gain" has been replaced by "train, don't strain". Good philosiphy.
My primary excercise is walking. I'll be 71 years old next month, and thus far this month, I've walked 94 miles as a result of my vacation in Russia. I walked over 100 miles last month, because I was in Chicago for an a2k gathering earlier in the month, and did my share of walking rather than riding public transportation. I hope to remain active as long as I'm able to.
One of the best walking towns, in my opinion, is New York City. :wink:
I've been reading a bit on whole body vibration (WBV) and the results are compelling.
This is an abstract of an article that appeared in JBMR:
Quote:Vibration training improved isometric and dynamic muscle strength (+15% and + 16%, respectively; p < 0.01) and also significantly increased BMD of the hip (+0.93%, p < 0.05). No changes in hip BMD were observed in women participating in resistance training or age-matched controls (−0.60% and −0.62%, respectively; not significant). Serum markers of bone turnover did not change in any of the groups.
Conclusion: These findings suggest that WBV training may be a feasible and effective way to modify well-recognized risk factors for falls and fractures in older women and support the need for further human studies.
Read the whole article here:
http://www.jbmronline.com/doi/full/10.1359/JBMR.0301245
Cool.
I remember reading that having a purring cat on your lap increases bone density because of the vibrations (and that in at least some circumstances, not all, purring is a self-medication for cats).
I believe that there are certain situations where a doctor can prescribe a vibration platform so that it is covered by insurance.
If I recall, Noddy's bones require some tenderness that the rest of us don't necessarily need. I'm SURE she will be talking to her doctor before beginning ANY new excercise program.
And while she's talking to him she might inquire about WBV.
Boomer--
Very interesting. Thank you!
Chai Tea wrote:That, and working out on an elliptical.
Walking also, but the elliptical involves no pounding.
I love mine.
I love it too! You can set the resistance pretty high but you glide along, instead of pound along.
Green Witch wrote:For the older women it was weight bearing exercises like light lifting and walking while holding small hand weights.
You have to be careful with the walking with weights thing...if you do, don't swing your arms like you'd normally do walking. You can hurt yourself. Push each one up in the air as you walk. You'll build muscle in your arms as well as give a little bit of weight.
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