We all know that exercise can make us look and feel better. We can increase lose fat and increase muscle size, but did you know that exercise can increase bone mass? When I first learned about exercise increasing bone mass, I thought it was kind of weird. I was a young kid that just wanted to be big and strong. I didn’t have any desire to make my bones bigger, I just wanted bigger muscles. Of course, now that I think about it, it makes perfect sense. Increasing our bone mass doesn’t mean that we will have huge bones. It simply means that they will get bigger or perhaps just more dense. Either way, the physical manifestation of increased bone mass will not leave the average person looking like the Incredible Hulk. Bone mass is much like muscle mass in that way. They can both be increased in size and density without getting too big. And just like with muscle, if we don’t exercise our bones they won’t get stronger.
Fortunately for us, there are many exercises that simultaneously increase the strength of bones and muscles. These types of exercise are called weight bearing exercise. Anything from push-ups and squats to any type of weight lifting. Even running which is commonly associated with cardiovascular training, is also a form of weight bearing exercise. Bicycling and swimming are two exercises that are not considered weight bearing. That doesn’t mean that we should omit bicycling and swimming from our routines, it just means that we should include other exercises in our routine as well. The benefits of both bicycling and swimming are numerous. Among them is a great cardiovascular benefit. However, if we don’t do enough weight bearing exercises then our bones can break easily, and we can develop diseases like arthritis, and osteoporosis.
Those diseases are more common as we get older, but that is because most of us can get away with years of neglect. If we neglect our bones for too long, eventually they will decay no matter how good our genetics are. This is why I think it is important for young people to get a head start, and learn about preventing bone loss. However, if you have already lost some bone mass that doesn’t mean that you can’t get it back. In addition to resistance training, many people forget about the necessity of proper nutrition and rest. Calcium is a must for those who wish to increase their bone mass, and it is important to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep as well.
A regular resistance training program is recommended to maintain and/or build bone mass. In some cases there are certain specifications for those already suffering from the effects of low bone mass. The most important thing to keep in mind is that those individuals may need more time to work up to higher intensities of resistance training. In either case, it is a good idea to ease into resistance training. The specifics of your workouts depends on the equipment that you have available to you. 3 sets of 6-12 repetitions with about 75 to 85% of your one rep maximum works great for someone who has access to different amounts of weight. But not everyone does. Although ideal, that exact range isn’t necessary in order to get the benefits of bone mass increase from resistance training. Do what you can, because something is way better then nothing.
