Worried about bone health? How to maintain or even grow bone density with this exercise program

An exercise program for bone health during adulthood? Curious sometimes people start worrying about their bones until they see the problems coming like: osteoporosis, "a silent disease", one that starts to gestate sometimes as early as the childhood age. You'll find here a guideline to help you with your skeletal system, the one that sustains your whole body right?

There are not conclusive studies that could describe in detail a physical activity program for optimizing bone mass during adulthood, however there is some evidence that the following prescription could possibly augment bone density, based in the position stand from the American College of Sports Medicine:

Basketball

Type of activities:

+ Weight bearing endurance activities such as: squash, tennis, stair climbing, jogging, walking, etc.

+ Activities that involve jumping like: basketball, volleyball, etc.

+ Resistance exercise like weight lifting or pilates with equipment.

Intensity:

+ Moderate to high according to your own resistance and fitness level. This accounts too for exercises that produce bone loading forces.

Frequency:

+ Weight bearing endurance activities 3-5 times per week.

+ Resistance exercise 2-3 times per week.

Duration:

+ 30-60 minutes / day of a combination of weight bearing with endurance activities that involve jumping and resistance exercise that targets all major muscle groups.

At what age should you start performing these physical activities in order to maintain bone health and general health? The answer is as soon as now!

Is there an age limit for keeping a relatively high level of weight bearing exercise? The answer is: there's not a upper age limit, but as you advance in years... Just be sure you are able to perform the activities safely.

I remember my dad with this "Karate Kid" feeling running all over his veins, coming to my Tae Kwon Do classes. During the practice session, he was so passionate and intense when kicking, that once he tried a higher kick, a crack noise was listened! Then, he was in the floor saying: -well, I think I'm not a kid anymore! Be careful!

Then here comes the note that any exercise program for elderly women and men should include not only weight bearing endurance and resistance activities for preserving bone mass, but also need to include activities that help to improve balance and prevent falls.

By the way, although the exercise program may help to some extent to prevent from loosing bone mass, there is no strong evidence that even vigorous physical activity helps to attenuate menopause related loss of bone mineral in women so I suggest as a preventive measure of bone disease to visit your physician and search for the best therapy.

Besides any medical treatment there's always the recommendation to keep a healthy balanced diet with foods rich in calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, boron and silicon, minerals and vitamins essential for the structure of the bone and overall body's health.

Important as well is to get extra quality supplementation that could help to fix the needed nutrients to the bone. Look for supplements that comply with the safety, bio-availability and other specific needs.


Check and Exercise Program for Bone Health for Children

Some other articles about prevention


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