Johns Hopkins Health Alert
Building Bone Density With Exercise
Dr. Deborah Sellmeyer, Medical Director of The Johns Hopkins Metabolic Bone Center, talks about preventing osteoporosis by building bone density with exercise.
Q. How does weight-bearing exercise affect bone density?
Dr. Sellmeyer: Physical activity is very important for preventing osteoporosis. The pure bio-mechanical pull of muscle on bone is a stimulus for the bone to grow, incorporate mineral, and become stronger. People who don't get that stimulus -- such as astronauts in space or immobilized people on Earth -- start losing bone at a very rapid rate. Ideally, people should perform weight-bearing activities throughout their lives to build bone and maintain bone density.
Physical activity makes a big difference, even in childhood. For example, there have been trials in which one group of children was assigned to an exercise program in which they jumped up and down off boxes of varying heights. A second group of children was instructed to simply continue their usual daily activities. The researchers reported that the kids in the exercise group gained significantly more bone than the other kids. That's because the jumping activity gave them more weight-bearing stress on their bones.
It's never too late to adopt a bone-friendly exercise program. In one study of postmenopausal women, researchers reported that a regimen of daily brisk walking and simple gymnastic training led to a significant increase in the women's lumbar BMD. Even a minimal amount of weight-bearing activity can help older adults gain bone, but continuous training is needed to maintain the benefits gained through exercise.
Q. What types of weight-bearing exercise do you recommend?
Dr. Sullmeyer: Certain types of exercise are more beneficial than others for preventing osteoporosis. In adults with sufficient physical capacity, running and jumping activities such as playing tennis or jumping rope are excellent. But if you don't have the physical capacity for such vigorous exercise, even daily walks will help strengthen your bones. Your regular exercise routine should include weight-bearing and resistance exercises and ideally should begin in childhood or adolescence -- or at least well before menopause.
In weight-bearing exercises -- such as brisk walking, stair climbing, jogging, and dancing -- the bones and muscles work against gravity and the feet, legs, and spine bear the body's weight. This type of exercise helps strengthen the lower body and spine. (In contrast, while activities such as swimming and bike riding can be good for your muscles, joints and heart, they are not weight-bearing activities and therefore should not be your only form of exercise.)
In resistance exercises, the muscles work against weights. Either free weights (such as dumbbells) or weight machines can be used for resistance training. This type of exercise is especially ideal for building bone mass in the upper body, an area that is weak in most women. Proper instruction and technique for performing the exercises are essential to avoid injury.
Posted in Arthritis on December 21, 2009
Reviewed October 2011
Medical Disclaimer: This information is not intended to substitute for the advice of a physician. Click here for additional information: Johns Hopkins Health Alerts Disclaimer
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