Make no bones about it: Exercise is good for us in so many ways, including helping to strengthen our bones. Bone is living tissue that is constantly undergoing a process called remodeling. Remodeling results in the production of new bone tissue. Many factors can affect the remodeling process and leave you with bones that are less dense and more fragile. Some factors that affect bone remodeling are:
- Advancing age.
- Low vitamin D.
- A diet low in calcium.
- Smoking.
- Lack of exercise.
Regular weight-bearing and resistance exercise helps build muscle, as well as maintain and increase bone strength. Exercise causes the muscle to contract against the bone. This action stresses or stimulates the bone, and the bone becomes stronger and denser. The three main types of exercise are:
- Aerobic exercise (cardiovascular), which includes walking, jogging, running, aerobic dance, bicycling, and swimming.
- Weight-bearing exercise, which includes jogging, walking, stair climbing, dancing, and soccer.
- Resistance exercise (strength training), which includes weight lifting and calisthenics like push-ups and chin-ups.
Before you begin any exercise, make sure you warm up for five minutes. This can consist of stretches and a light walk. Start the activity slowly for the first five minutes. Slowly increase your intensity so that your heart rate increases to 60% to 70% of your maximum heart rate. Maximum heart rate equals 220 minus your age. To find your heart rate, place your index and middle finger over your pulse on your wrist or the side of your neck. Count your pulse for 15 seconds. Multiply this number by four; this is your heart rate.
Gradually increase your workout until you are working out at 60 percent to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate for the entire 20-minute workout at least three days a week. Make sure to include 5-10 minute warm-up and cool down sessions.
For resistance exercises, begin each exercise with very low weights and minimal repetitions. Slowly increase weight, never adding more than 10% in a given workout.
Do these exercises 2-3 times a week. Allow for one day between each workout for your bones and muscles to rest and repair themselves. Gradually increase the number of repetitions to 2-3 sets of 8-10 repetitions with a rest period of 30-60 seconds between sets.
Although stiffness the day after exercise is normal, if you are in pain, you did too much. Decrease the intensity or the duration of your exercise. As always, before starting any type of exercise program, check with your doctor about any possible medical problems you may have that would limit your exercise program.