While most people are aware of the benefits of strengthening their muscles for overall health and longevity, very few take into account the importance of also focusing on strength exercises for bone health. Just as muscles respond to differing stimuli and load, our bones too are the same!

What is Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis (OP) is a “silent condition” in that there are no real symptoms or warning signs that you may have it, with many living with it for a number of years unknowingly. The term itself refers to “porus bone” and is classified as a loss of bone mineral density (BMD) to a level that increases ones susceptibility to sustaining a fracture. This is due to a greater turnover than formation of new bone tissue and therefore weakening of the bones.

Osteopenia is the precursor to OP. It refers to a decline in bone mineral density greater than what is considered within normal ranges, but not yet at a level high enough to be considered osteoporotic. Both osteopenia and osteoporosis are detected using a DEXA scan.

Risk factors for compromised bone density, osteopenia and osteoporosis:

• Female gender and those that are post menopausal (due to the protective role of oestrogen in maintaining bone mineral density).

• High levels of sedentary activity/behaviours.

• Family history osteopenia/osteoporosis.

• Low levels of vitamin D and calcium intake.

• Smoking

• High levels of caffeine consumption and alcohol intake.

• Some medications such as long term corticosteroid use.

How can exercise help? And what type?

Unlike our muscles, when it comes to building strength into our bones exercise needs to be in a weight bearing manner to be effective. And while there is benefit to strength based exercise in a standing position, when it comes to the gold standard of bone strengthening exercises impact training has been found to be superior for osteogenic or bone forming improvements. What does impact loading look like? The good thing is it doesn’t have to be as intimidating and daunting as it sounds, nor do you need to be an elite athlete to do it. Impact loading can be as simple as stomping your feet firmly into the ground in multiple directions, small jumps on the spot, backwards and forwards or side to side. And just as we move across varying plans of movement throughout the day, bones too need to be loaded and stressed in this way to become more robust. Balance training too is important, yet often overshadowed. While this will do little to improve bone mineral density, having greater balance correlates with a reduced risk of falling and therefore reduced fracture risk.

Is there more to bone health than just loading the bones?

There is more to bone exercise than just loading for osteogenic benefits. A holistic and comprehensive exercise program also takes into account the following factors:

• Strength based exercises to specifically improve hip strength and stability, particuarly in a single leg stance. This can include step ups, step downs, single leg bridges, single leg calf raises, lunges, single leg squats or sit to stand and arabesques.

• Postural strengthening exercises

• General lower limb strength and endurance.

• Static and dynamic balance exercises

• Hip, knee and ankle strengthening and control.

Not sure where to start? Or wanting more guidance?

Our experienced Exercise Physiologist Abby works closely with a number of bone health and falls prevention clients on a daily basis. She can assess your strength, mobility, balance and falls risk before then developing a safe and appropriate exercise program to complete either independently at home or supervised in our clinic gym or OASIS studio. This program takes into account your exercise goals and any deficits observed during your assessment. To book an initial Exercise Physiology or Clinical Exercise assessment click here. Or you can phone our friendly reception team between business hours on 5333 2232.