Sunday, March 02, 2008 Paquiao: Take care of your bone By Calixto S. Paquiao fitness & you
LAST year one of my clients underwent a bone-density test. The test revealed bad news.
This 50-year-old woman was losing bone. The doctor said that she was the perfect candidate for osteoporosis because she was small-boned.
She was lucky that before it was discovered she never suffered a fracture. She wanted to keep it that way. She went to me for consultation and asked me if I could do something to save her bone from complete deterioration. I told her if she could commit herself to exercise regularly, then she could strengthen and save her bone from bone loss.
I told her of a a study conducted by the Tufts University for a group of 19 women who underwent strength training program. It was found that their bone had become denser, and stronger after a year of doing the program.
So, she enrolled and committed herself to three times a week strength training program. Before the year ended, this woman again did another bone-density test. It was found out that the bones in her hips and spine had actually become denser. This very encouraging result is an inspiration to people whose bones are candidates for osteoporosis.
How does strength training program help in preventing bone loss? Bone adapts to physical stress by becoming denser and stronger. Exercise also builds muscle, which cushions bone and also improves balance, which reduces the risk of fall. If you have a lot of muscle and good balance you’re at a decreased risk for falling or breaking a hip.
The best bone strengthening workouts involve strength training along with weight bearing, impact loading exercises.
Weight bearing means that you’re on your feet, letting your skeleton support the weight of your body. Impact loading means that impact or force passes through your bones as you exercise. Walking for instance is good.
On the other hand, resistance training is the most effective component to prevent bone loss. In one of the study at Tufts University a group of post-menopausal women, from 50 to 70 years old, lifted weights twice a week for 45 minutes. After a year, the density of the bone in their hips and spine had increased an average of one percent.
In effect they had the bones of women five years younger, aside from that they become stronger and improve balance. They feel great, sleeping better, feeling less depressed. It’s a pretty amazing transformation.
