Adding strength...
We were always told, walking and keeping moving will keep us healthy. Well, it does, but may not do a lot for our bones.
Lately, the word is that we need to add strength training to the mix. You know weights, resistance bands… the kinda boring stuff, at least maybe more boring than a walk around the neighborhood, a park or a cute town. However, we do get stronger and build or maintain our muscle mass, which is a good thing.
You may already know this, but you may not...
It turns out that weight training and stronger muscles lead to strong bones too. And we definitely want strong bones to minimize the risk of breaking things if we fall.
Osteoporosis, the medical term for when “...bones become brittle and fragile from loss of tissue, typically as a result of hormonal changes, or deficiency of calcium or vitamin D” (Oxford Dictionary).
“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 Health
Bone mass can decrease at the rate of 1% a year once you hit forty. Add to that inactivity or poor nutrition and bones weaken and become susceptible to fracture. You could break something falling or doing something as simple as bending over to tie your shoes. Yikes!
The good news is… at least we can help this by adding some weights to our exercise. Activities that put stress on bones, that tugging and pushing on your bones when you add weight, can nudge bone-forming cells into action. It may not be easy to get into new routines that include some dumbbells, but at least it is a simple thing.
Another bonus to adding strength training... It targets bones of the hips, spine, and wrists, areas you are most likely to break. What's more, resistance workouts — particularly those that include moves that are all about power and balance — enhance strength and stability. You reduce fractures another way... by NOT falling!
