New Age Health Spa
To many of us baby boomers are getting bone density scans lately, and wondering how to prevent our bones from the brittleness we sadly observed in our grandmothers. Weight bearing resistance exercise is the most natural way to combat bone loss, but the resistance levels must be very specific to achieve results.
Weight-bearing resistance programs can involve cardiovascular workouts, or they can involve simple weight training workouts. For cardio workouts, the term “weight-bearing” refers to any activity which requires a person to repeatedly lift her body weight against gravity. Therefore, although activities such as swimming or biking are excellent cardiovascular exercises, neither of them is considered “weight bearing;” Low or high impact activities such as walking, jogging, hiking are considered weight-bearing..
Studies show that muscles and bone density reach their maximum potential when a person is 25, and begin to slowly shrink from that point on unless the person consistently follows some resistance program. People doing weight training two to three times per week at the right resistance levels not only slow down the tendency of muscular shrinkage and bone density loss--they actually reverse the process.
Exercisers who do just aerobic activity, and do not lift weights as well, actually lose bone density in their upper spines, shoulders and ribs faster than people who do no exercise at all! Overall bone density and lean muscle mass is the highest in those who do a combination of both aerobic activity and weight training.
The key is to have a trainer set up a balanced program for your upper body resistance, and to make sure that each targeted muscle reaches “temporary muscular failure” (the inability to do one more repetition) by 15 repetitions, at the maximum. A two set routine gives a person 85% of the strength they could receive from any multi-set routine, so doing two sets for each body part provides plenty of stimulation to encourage the growth of new muscular tissue, as well as forcing the bone to gain density.
Since after the age of 50, the overall process of muscular and skeletal atrophy increases dramatically, it is imperative that the over 50 population starts weight training as part of their weekly routine. Fortunately, it’s never too late to begin a weight training regime! Research shows that even people in their 80’s can fortify their muscles through regular weight training!
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