If you are a 30-something gal like me, no doubt when you go in for your well-woman exam each year your doctor suggests a calcium supplement or asks what you are currently using to add calcium into your diet for bone health. In the nutrition community, there are split camps about just how beneficial cow's milk and dairy products are to bone health (not to mention overall health)- personally I follow the school of thought that favors plant based sources of calcium over dairy...but no matter what side of the line you are on about dietary sources of calcium and bone health, one way to improve bone health seems to be widely accepted on both side of the debate. Weight bearing exercise can strengthen your bones and improve your bone health.
Let's have a look at why this is true. Bones are similar to muscles in that they become bigger and stronger when they are in use. If you stop using them on a regular basis, they get weaker and atrophy away. Just like muscles, when bones are supporting weight, they get a little stronger. First lets have a look at your muscles. When you go into the gym and lift weight or engage in resistance training exercises, those working muscles develop tiny little micro-tears as they are pushed to fatigue and failure. The body repairs these micro-tears by creating new muscle tissue in addition to what we have- this is why muscles get bigger as we continue to train and increase the load we are able to bear. Bones work much the same way since when they bear weight, they develop microscopic weak spots induced by the strain of tendons and ligaments as well as other connective tissues as we bear weight through a full range of motion. The weak spots are recognized by the body's internal repair system and signals the release of osteoclasts and ostelblasts. These two amazing chemicals dissolve away the damaged bone and then create new bone. Essentially, by engaging in weight bearing exercise that challenges the muscle, you give your bones a reason to thrive and get stronger. It it really goes with the old saying- use it or lose it!
When muscles and bones are not subjected to regular weight bearing exercise, very little new bone is created because the body triggers no stimulus requiring response. Old bone slowly gets weaker and eventually becomes more prone to fracture. Most bone building occurs as the body reacts to dynamic strain- meaning strain from motion and movement rather than static strain, which is strain without movement. Even walking briskly is enough muscular strain to stimulate the generation of new bone. Better yet- walking on an incline, hiking, or trail hiking carrying a backpack will increase the stimulus response of the muscles and consequently the bone development.
The more healthy, dynamic strain you put on your muscles, the stronger your bones can become. So next time you are at the gym and staring at those dumbbells, think about the health of your muscles and bones and just go for it!
TOO RIGHT! And if you're a 50-something gal like ME, it takes twice the effort! Weight-training to NOT LOSE bone & muscle, a natural process of age/post-menopause! Then the extra effort to actually BUILD bone/muscle strength. THANK YOU, Aime, for getting me on an AWESOME (albeit challenging) weight-training program! I LOVE how you LOVE me!
Posted by: Sally Wing | January 24, 2012 at 03:28 PM