What's the Big Secret to Developing Bone Density???
Well... my typical tenet for training is to observe the masses and do the opposite, and here we go again! It's the same story for a different disease. People so often have the best of intentions following the worst of advice.
As the owner of one of the largest fitness centers in Connecticut, I've met hundreds of people over the years who have joined my facility specifically on "doctor's orders," prescribed to stride their skeletons to strength, substance, and solidity on a treadmill.
Unfortunately, the "weight-bearing" exercise of walking doesn't have a leg to stand on.
In fact, walking is just the beginning of weight-bearing exercise. Sure it's fine to walk for exercise (especially if you like walking, because that's about all that it gets you in shape to do). However, if you're truly interested in developing bone density, after you're done with your walk, your should then run to your nearest resistance training program.
So, the secret is, once again, to do the opposite of everyone else. And since everyone (and their osteoporotic mother) is walking as weight-bearing exercise...
DO SOMETHING OTHER THAN WALKING
Walking isn't bad... it just isn't good. Walking only impacts a handful of bones from one given angle. To effectively impact your complete skeletal structure, you MUST have forces pulling on as many bones, from as many directions, as possible.
So how do forces pull on bones?
BONES connect to TENDONS connect to MUSCLES connect to TENDONS connect to BONES
Muscles are monkey in the middle...and more force in the muscles creates more force on the bones. While walking creates some force in one direction, resistance training (with safe yet sufficient resistance in the form of dumbbells, barbells, machines, and bodyweight exercises) creates a lot of force in many directions. When muscles contract, they pull on the tendons which, in turn, pull on the bones, and act as an impetus to bone substance and strength. Therefore...
Weight-Training Should Be the Foundation of Weight-Bearing Exercise.
Training with weights is also The Best Way to Exercise for a host of other issues. If you want to skip ahead and watch my video on "The Magic of Muscle" at the bottom of this page, please CLICK HERE.
This is where the story begins... but it doesn't always have a happy ending. Most people completely waste their time exercising improperly, especially when it relates to resistance training. Not only does improper training have negligible impact on bone health, it can also potentially cause long-lasting damage to all of the soft tissues surrounding the bones, including muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and fascia.
While The Best Way to Exercise is beyond the scope of this article, let's have a little "fun" looking at The WORST Way to Exercise. Please... whatever you do... do NOT try these at home, or anywhere for that matter.
THE WORST WAY TO EXERCISE
WHAT'S WRONG WITH THESE MOTION PICTURES?
DON'T BE A DUMBBELL :-)
I was actually somewhat intrigued by this video until I got to the actual exercise... at around the 3 minute mark.
Yes... there are forces being transmitted to the hip bones through the heels and leg bones during this exercise but, on the grand scheme of things, I don't think this will do much for you or your bones.
But it just might do something to the rest of your body. What about the dangerous forces on the fatty pads under the heel bones? Or the deleterious impact on the meniscus cartilage in the knee joint? And the intervertebral discs in between the vertebrae of the lower back?
I just don't think the positive benefit from this would even begin to outweigh the potential negatives.
This is a video clip from a video specifically developed for osteoporosis, entitled "Skeletal Fitness," by Mirabai Holland. It states that the video demonstrates "medically-based workout for your bones" and "helps combat osteoporosis and osteopenia."
I understand that this exercise is probably only a small part of the entire routine, but if this exercise is indicative of the rest of the routine... it is 100% pointless.
This exercise will do absolutely NOTHING for anything, except perhaps stretch the muscles in the front of the chest, albeit incorrectly.
I just don't get it. It's amazing how much time people can waste trying to exercise. It's so hard to know who to believe, especially considering that most people's intentions are good. They just don't know how to do it.
I don't even know where to start on this one. I realize that this was made for some sort of group project; however, I would highly recommend NOT doing ANYTHING on this video.
This workout is an accident waiting to happen. NEXT!!
This is the worst that I've found. It's so bad that I couldn't even bring myself to post the clip on my website. Click the link. :-)
This is the best that I've found. Robyn Stuhr is the Executive Vice President of the American Council on Exercise and her passion for fitness is contagious. However, please listen loudly at 2:00 when she says... "If you've already been diagnosed with osteoposoris, or have osteoarthritis of the hip or knee, do NOT do these types of activities." That's a capital "NOT!!!"
I personally do NOT like ballistic activity for myself or for the majority of my clients. It's just not worth the risk. So, I would personally recommend avoiding every exercise between 2:00 and 3:25, especially without professional supervision. But her second-to-last sentence was amazing!!! KUDOS!!!
"Although you'll see the greatest adaptations to bone strength from high-intensity, high-challenge strength training and high-impact, lots-of-variety-movement aerobic training and jump training, it's important to start where you and your client are and take into account their individual level of musculo-skeletal and overall fitness."
A nugget or two of workout wisdom, helping you to avoid working out like a Common Dumbbell.
If you want to skip ahead and watch my video on "The Magic of Muscle" at the bottom of this page, please CLICK HERE.
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I hope this helps you realize that training your muscles with resistance exercises is definitely The Best Way to Exercise.
