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Thursday, July 3, 2008

Exercise your way to stronger bones.

Most of us try to fit some exercise into our weekly routine for different reasons. Some people exercise to keep trim and fit; other to release stress or socialize. If you do not have an exercise routine, here's another good reason to get one going: Exercise helps to build strong bones.

It is scientifically proven that weight bearing exercise (eg. brisk, walking and running), strength training exercise (eg. lifting weights) and resistance training exercise (eg. using a resistance band) can help to strengthen the bones. A study from Texas Woman's University in Denton shows that lifting weights during adolescence can help dealy the onset of osteoporosis in women. A related study from the University of British Columbia shows that lifting weight strengthens the bones of women in their late 60s.

Regular strength and resistance training also help decrease the risk of falls in older persons as their sense of balance, coordination and flexibility are improved. Therefore it is important that all of us adopt an exercise program early in life and incorporate bit strength and resistance training to take care of our bones.

How exercise actually builds strong bones
When we exercise, we put stress on our bone as the muscles, tendons and ligaments push and pull the bones. This stress stimulates the bones to retain calcium and produce higher bone mass, resulting in stronger bones.

Strength and resistance training exercise use gravity and tension to strengthen the body. Walking, running and stair-climbing are weight-bearing exercise that can easily taken up. However, these forms of exercise tend to benefit only he lower body and do little to strengthen the bones at our elbows, wrists, shoulders or upper back.

Using free weight and resistance bands can help to strengthen all our muscles and bones. According to a University of Maryland (Department of Kinesiology) study, such regimens have proven to increase bone density and bone remodeling- the natural process in which old bones are replaced by new ones- middle-aged and older men.

Exercise is an effective and inexpensive way to build strong bones. In addition, the bone-strengthening benefits of exercise calcium intake for a comprehensive bone care program. Each of us needs at least 1000mg of calcium each day. Calcium supplements can readily make up for any shortfalls.

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