How Weight Training Increases Bone Density

As we get older, we lose bone density. If this happens, we become more susceptible to diseases such as osteoporosis. However, the good news is that weight training can help to increase bone density. Why is this? Take a look to learn more.

What is ‘bone density’?

In a nutshell, ‘bone density’ refers to how healthy your bones are. Bone is made up of collagen and calcium. During our childhood and teenage years, our bones are being added to in order to make them stronger. Old bone is not removed as much as new bone is formed. It is said that in these years, our bone are the strongest.

However, after the age of 30 there is not that much new bone formation. However, old bone is removed and if the rate at which the old bone is removed is faster than the rate at which new bone is formed, you’ll be more at risk for osteoporosis and bone fractures.

How weight training helps to increase bone density

The good news is that you can do something right now to help to increase bone density – and that is through becoming fit and exercise.

Expert personal trainers have put down three biological factors, in exercise, that help to increase bone density. These are:

· The degree of the muscle strain an exercise exerts,

· The rate at which this muscle strain occurs, and

· The frequency at which this muscle strain happens.

By far, one of the best exercises to help with increasing bone density is weight training. This is because it incorporates all of the above three factors. In particular, the force exerted on the muscle helps to stimulate bone growth. It can also help to tone you up more effectively when losing weight, and since a tummy tuck is a serious procedure, this is good news too.

What weight training exercises are the best for bone density?

Possibly some of the best exercises to promote the increase of bone density are push-ups and squats. You can add in a free weight, such as a pair of dumbbells or barbells, to make this exercise more challenging.

There are a couple of dos and don’t when it comes to doing the squat properly. For example, when most people try to squat, their knees protrude far too much over their toes. Their bum goes straight down and their heels come off the floor. This happens because proper squat technique requires some hip flexibility, proper balance and a hip hinge.

Each time you squat, hinge your hips so that your glutes move backwards during the downward phaseof the squat. You knees will no longer protrude over your toes but if you are tall, this may happen but make sure that it does not put pressure on your knees. Finally the pressure of the squat will be on your heels instead of your toes and you will be able to get more depth to your squat.

Another major mistake that people make when they squat is rounding their necks or looking down at the ground. The spinal alignment is automatically thrown off which makes the squat a very dangerous exercise especially is you are using a lot of weight.

A key theme with the squat is to make sure your spine is in proper alignment. By keeping your shoulders back and your chest out your lower back will most likely have the correct natural curve. If you round your shoulders back and your chest out, your lower back will most likely have the correct natural curve. If you instead round your shoulders and sink your chest in, your spinal alignment will be thrown off.

Hyperextending your lower back by arching too much or rounding your back can put significant pressure on the intervertebral discs which are soft gel-like cushions that protect each vertebra. If the disc ruptures because of too much pressure a portion of the spinal disc pushes outside its normal boundary. This is called a herniated disc and may require surgery.

In this article, we’ve given a couple of pointers about how to do the squat which is an excellent exercise for increasing bone density and improving fitness. There are loads more exercises out there that you can do to help you with improving your bone health. You just need to find one which you enjoy and works for you!

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