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How to Prevent Osteoporosis with Exercise

By Doug Jackson, M.Ed.,CSCS

Fact one- Both men and women are at risk of developing osteoporosis as they age.

Fact two- Inactive people who think that popping a few calcium tablets everyday will prevent osteoporosis are in for a rude awakening.

Fact three- The possibility of preventing osteoporosis seems to be improved with weight training.

Note that I included the word "inactive" in my second statement. That's because physical activity is the often forgotten about, missing ingredient to that slows the development of osteoporosis.

All of this ties back into something that exercise physiologists call the SAID Principle. This principle is probably the most profound concept that I learned during my undergrad degree in exercise science. This is cool stuff!

So what is the SAID Principle? SAID is an acronym for body's ability to create "Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands". Someone with a "trained eye" can look at someone and not only tell whether they're active or inactive, but also what type of sports they've played and what type of exercise programs they've been on. People with the trained eye know that specific "demands" (i.e. types of physical activity) placed on the body stimulate specific "adaptations" (changes in the body's physiology and structure) to meet those demands.

Why can trainers be able to pick out the powerlifter, bodybuilder, and Olympic Weightlifter? Each style of lifting creates a different look in the body...specific adaptations to imposed demands.

Okay, so how many of you are thinking "Jackson, what the heck are you talking about?" Think of a muscular athlete whose arm is broken and placed into a cast. What happens to that arm? If the arm was strong before, the muscle shrivels while in the cast. Why? Use it or lose it. While in the cast, there was no "demand" placed upon the arm so the body allowed the arm to atrophy (decrease in muscle size). When the cast comes off, the athlete goes through the process of adding strengthening exercise to build the muscle back. But many of us forget something! exercise strengthens not just muscle, but bones as well.

So let's go back to the person who has not exercised during their life. Most of you would agree that the person who has not exercised would not have much muscle. However, we forget that this person will likely have very weak bones as well. These inactive people, who are many times popping calcium tablets in the hope of preventing osteoporosis, are missing the big picture. Their bones will not stay strong without exercise!

Let's take this a little farther. What type of exercise should it be? It needs to be weight-bearing exercise. For example, although swimming is a wonderful exercise, it would have a negligible effect of bone strength. Why? It is not weight-bearing and would not create a demand on the body for stronger bones.

How about walking? It's weight bearing, right? Yep, it's great for keeping bones in the lower body strong. However, it will do little to aide in upper body bone strength. The most effective way to keep bones strong requires the same recommendation as the most effective way to keep muscles strong. Which is this:

To keep your bones as strong as possible, you should target each muscle with resistance training at least two to three times per week. Researchers at Tufts University found that high-intensity strength training was effective at preserving bone density, in addition to increasing muscle mass, strength, and balance in postmenopausal women. As a general rule, you should use enough weight to fatigue the muscles between eight to twelve repetitions. Those of sixty years of age and older may consider using a lighter weight that fatigues the muscles around fifteen repetitions.

A last consideration: Free weight training that works the body as a whole and requires the use of muscle stabilizers is arguably better than resistance training on machines. This is because machines work the body in less natural movement patterns.

The take home message: Both men and women can develop osteoporosis, although it's more prevalent in females. Activity in childhood and adolescents is crucial for the development of strong bones in adult life. One we are adults, the research is mixed as to whether we can strengthen bones further. However, we do know that adults who perform properly designed strength training programs can slow bone loss. Lastly, remember that if you are popping calcium tablets, but not exercising, you're missing the big picture. Your body needs weight bearing exercise through all major muscle areas to keep your bones in an ideal state of health.

About the Author:

Doug Jackson, M.Ed., CSCS, is the author of Fitness Now and Forever and the co-author of Family Fit Plan. He also operates a fitness consulting business in Weston, Florida. To receive his Ten Secrets to your Best Year Ever mini-course, visit www.PersonalFitnessAdvantage.com.