An exercise program that promotes bone health will include exercises for balance, flexibility, posture, strength and aerobic (or cardiovascular) conditioning. Each of these exercise groups has a role to play in strengthening your bones and reducing your risk of a fall. A well-designed aerobic conditioning program can have a significant impact on the strength of your bones. Before you start your next aerobic workout, you should take the following points into consideration:

1. Your aerobic program should include activities that incorporate weight bearing. Weight bearing exercises are exercises that cause you to carry weight or load through your skeleton.
2. Not all exercise activity is equal when it comes to the benefits of weight bearing. For example, brisk walking has been shown to build bone but not as much as more intense physical activities such as martial arts, hockey or gymnastics. The more demanding the activity is on your bones, the stronger your bones will become.
3. The weight bearing activities you incorporate into your exercise program should be consistent with your current level of fitness. If gardening has been your primary physical activity, then a brisk evening walk would likely be an appropriate start for you instead of playing basketball or jumping rope.
4. Your choice of exercise should be based on a number of health considerations—this includes the health of your bones and their ability to resist a fracture. If your bones are fragile and are at a high risk of fracture, then the weight bearing exercises you choose will be very different than those selected by someone who is at a low risk of fracture.

Putting Weight Bearing into your Aerobic Workout

Examples of activities that would be appropriate for someone who is at a high risk of fracture and wanting maximum bone building benefit include:

• Brisk walking
• Nordic walking
• Stair climbing
• Dancing
• Low impact aerobics
• Tai-chi

Someone at a moderate risk of fracture and wishing to experience maximum bone building benefit include:

• Running or jogging
• Hiking
• Jumping rope

A person with a low risk of fracture has a wider array of activities to choose from. More strenuous activities should be part of their aerobic program, including:

• Soccer
• Hockey
• Volleyball
• Basketball
• Tennis
• Martial Arts

Finding Out Your Fracture Risk

A bone mineral density test, also known as a Dual X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA), along with your family history, medication history, age and gender are used to help determine your risk for a fracture.

If you are comfortable using the web to research your health information, you can go to my web site www.melioguide.com to take a fracture risk questionnaire. At the conclusion of the questionnaire, you will be given your fracture risk and assigned a free comprehensive exercise program based on your fracture risk and activity level.

Following a bone building aerobic exercise program will not only help you strengthen your bones, it will also help you build muscle, lose fat, reduce back pain and make you fitter and firmer.

Labels: bone density, exercise program for osteoporosis, osteopenia, osteoporosis, osteoporosis and exercise, osteoporosis treatment

We all are aware of the important role calcium plays in building and maintaining strong bone composition. Several recent studies have shown that consuming calcium can have both positive and negative implications.

On January 16th, 2008 a New Zealand study was released which linked calcium supplementation to increased strokes and heart attacks in healthy postmenopausal women. The study participants were given 1000 mg of calcium on top of their dietary calcium intake of 860mg/day. (1) As a result of this study, members of the Scientific Advisory Council of Osteoporosis Canada released a calcium update statement suggesting that individuals calculate their total dietary calcium before considering supplements. (2)

In a different research study (3) conducted last summer, researchers at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, found that fat-free milk consumption after strength training was a more effective means to increase lean mass compared to either soy protein milk or a carbohydrate beverage.

The study involved fifty-six healthy young men that weight trained five days per week (alternating muscle groups). The fifty-six men were divided into three study groups using a random selection process. Each member in a study group was required to consume two cups of a selected beverage (either soy protein milk, fat-free milk or a carbohydrate beverage) after their training session was completed.

At the end of the twelve-week study period, it was determined that the milk-drinking group lost twice as much fat as the next best group. On average, individuals in the milk group lost two pounds, individuals in the carbohydrate beverage group lost one pound, and no weight loss was achieved in the soy protein milk group.

The milk group also gained more muscle than the other two groups.

Both of these studies illustrate the importance of the source of calcium and its affect on overall health. The concerns raised with calcium supplements versus dietary calcium in the New Zealand study, as well as the benefits seen in the McMaster study of the consumption of milk after weight training gives you one more reason to ask yourself: “Got Milk?”

References:

1. Click here to read the whole article

2. To link to the calcium intake summary from Osteoporosis Canada click here.

3. S.B. Wilkinson, M.A. Tarnopolsky, M.J. MacDonald, J.R. MacDonald, D. Armstrong and S.M. Phillips. Consumption of fluid skim milk promotes greater muscle protein accretion following resistance exercise than an isonitrogenous and isoenergetic soy protein beverage. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 85(4):1031-1040, 2007.

Labels: nutrition, osteoporosis, osteoporosis treatment

Juvent 1000 Dynamic Motion Therapy (DMT) Vibration Platform A Review by Margaret Martin Could a new technology, selected by NASA for use on next year's Space Station to assist astronauts to build bone in a zero gravity situation, help someone stationed here on earth? I decided to check this out for myself. I recently had the opportunity to try the Juvent 1000 Dynamic Motion Therapy (DMT) Platform. The device resembles a bathroom weight scale and generates vibrations through the soles of your feet. The fast and gentle vertical accelerations that the platform emits produces tiny stresses. Researchers believe that these stresses stimulate the bones to grow stronger. A recent study has shown that a one year treatment of low-level, high frequency vertical vibrations can inhibit bone loss in the hip and spine. The study was conducted on a group of women who were three to eight years post menopause. The company suggests that you will see results if you use the device for a minimum of twenty minutes a day. When I took the Juvent 1000 DMT for a test drive, I was pleasantly surprised by the gentle vibration that it emitted. It is not meant as a replacement to a drug therapy program and is probably a reasonable supplement to other bone activities. However, with a price tag of $3,000, I will need to see further studies before I make any recommendations to my clients. At MelioGuide, we recommend that you adopt a bone friendly lifestyle that includes the right combination of exercise, nutrition and daily activities. We also suggest that before you undertake any health-related changes that you consult with your physician. One final note on the Juvent 1000 DMT: A bone vibration study is underway in the Toronto region and the medical team is looking for volunteers. The study is taking place at the Postmenopausal Health Research Clinic at Toronto General Hospital under the guidance of Dr. Angela Cheung. If you are interested in participating visit the link below. We have also included a link to Juvent's web site with the product details. MelioGuide receives no compensation or consideration from Juvent, Inc.
	Bone Vibration Study at Toronto General Hospital
	Juvent 1000 Dynamic Motion Therapy Platform (Canada)
	Juvent 1000 Dynamic Motion Therapy Platform (US)

Labels: Juvent, motion therapy, osteoporosis, osteoporosis treatment

You just started a bone-healthy exercise program that incorporates all the important ingredients to address bone health. Excellent work! You are already well ahead of the game.

Most of you have either read or heard about weighted vests. Are there any additional benefits if you use a weighted vest while exercising? A recent article published in the July 2007 edition of the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity supports the use of progressive exercise training using weighted vests in postmenopausal women. *

Summary of Study Findings

The article reports on the effects of a twelve-week exercise training program using weighted vests on bone turnover and isokinetic strength in a randomly selected group of postmenopausal women. The intention of the study was to design an exercise-training program of progressive resistance that could be easily adapted to home and community settings, and, at the same time, diverse (and interesting) enough to appeal to a large number of postmenopausal women. The program was composed of exercises that do not require the use of specialized machines or free weights.

The results of the trial indicated that within the group of postmenopausal women who followed the exercise program over the twelve-week period:

• Bone resorption (breakdown) decreased significantly.
• Bone formation activity was unchanged.
• There were improvements in percentage of body fat, fat free mass, and ankle plantar-flexor strength.
• 80% of the group stayed on the exercise program throughout its twelve-week duration.
  

What does this mean for you?

A weighted vest would be a great alternative or adjunct to holding free weights during your exercise program.

How heavy should the vest be?

The study demonstrates that there are significant benefits if you progressively increase the weight in the vest. An initial weight of 3% of your body weight is a good start, eventually progressing to a maximum of 15% of your body weight.

Which exercises are most suited to wearing a weighted vest?

A weighted vest would be a good adjunct to following exercises in the MelioGuide programs:

• Marching (Beginner level)
• Heel Drops (Beginner level)
• Reverse lunge (Beginner level)
• Squats (Active through Elite level)
• Lunges (Active through Elite level)
• Step Ups (Active level)
• Band walks (Athletic level)

It would also be a good adjunct to a walking and balance training program.

Our Exercise Programs are available free of charge and we encourage you to sign up.

What weighted vest does MelioGuide recommend?

There are a number of weighted vests on the market. The vest I like is from www.walkvest.com. It is sporty looking and breaths well.

If you have experience with other brands and have liked them please share the information to us. You can reach us through our Contact Us page.


* Effects of Exercise Training With Weighted Vests on Bone Turnover and Isokinetic Strength in Postmenopausal Women. Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, July 2007, 15, 287-299. This study was conducted by Panagiota Klentrou and Brian Roy at Brock University’s Faculty of Applied Health Sciences in St. Catherines, Ontario, Jill Slack with the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Nursing, and Michel Ladouceur of the University of Iowa’s Department of Exercise Science.

MelioGuide receives no compensation or consideration from Resistance Wear or any other weighted vest manufacturer or distributor.

Labels: exercise. fitness, osteoporosis, osteoporosis treatment