Keep Moving Your Body!
Most of us know that strength training (with free weights, weight machines, or resistance bands) can help build and maintain muscle mass and strength. What many of us don't know is that strong muscles lead to strong bones and strong bones can help minimize the risk of fracture due to osteoporosis.
A combination of age-related changes, inactivity, and inadequate nutrition conspire to gradually steal bone mass, at the rate of 1% per year after age 40(Harvard Medical). As bones grow more fragile and susceptible to fracture they are more likely to break. Fractures can occur even after a minor fall or a far less obvious stress such as bending over to tie a shoelace.
Osteoporosis should be a concern for all. An estimated eight million women and two million men in the United States have osteoporosis. It is now responsible for more than two million fractures each year, and experts expect that number will rise. Hip fractures are usually the most serious. Six out of 10 people who break a hip never fully regain their former level of independence, even walking across a room without help may become impossible. (Harvard Medical)
Numerous studies have shown that strength training can play a role in slowing bone loss, and several studies show it can build bone. This is tremendously useful to help offset age-related declines in bone mass. Activities that put stress on bones can nudge bone-forming cells into action. The stress that comes from the tugging and pushing on bone during strength training as well as weight-bearing aerobic exercises like walking or running results in stronger, denser bones. Strength training, in particular, has bone benefits beyond those offered by aerobic weight-bearing exercise. Strength training targets bones of the hips, spine, and wrists, which are the sites most likely to fracture. What's more, resistance workouts, particularly those that include moves emphasizing power and balance enhance strength and stability. Increased strength and stability can boost confidence, encourage you to stay active, and reduce fractures by reducing the risk of falls.
