When mentioning strength training, most people only think of big muscles. And while that might be one element of lifting heavy weights, last time we looked at another aspect in which strength training can affect us. And that was mood. If that was not enough to convince you to look into doing some strength training, then read on. Today, we will look at a lesser known bonus of lifting – the health of your bones.
The strength of your bones, usually termed bone density, can vary widely. We know, for example, that factors such as age and sex hormones play a role in the strength of your bones. Lifestyle factors, such as smoking and drinking lots of coffee (I know! Not good news for me) also affect bone density. Not loading bones also decreases their strength. For example, only one week of bedrest can decrease bone density in the spine by 1%.
Conversely, applying load to your bones can increase their strength. So, the good news is that even if you have a penchant for coffee and are over the age of 50, bone density also responds to loading. This means, whether you are thinking about improving bone density preventatively or you have been told that you might have low bone density, strength training could be a good option for you.
How does that work? Lifting heavy loads remodels the pillars/beams inside the bone, thereby strengthening them. It does so by stopping normal bone breakdown, increasing usual bone formation and even mobilising cells for bone growth that are dormant. Increased blood flow to bones and changes to hormones are other ways in which this may happen. Important in this is the increase in the pull of muscles on bone and greater forces exerted on the body by contact with the ground. For this last reason, large bones in joints that support our body weight like the hips really benefit from strength training.
To give your mood and (hip) bones a boost, here some more pointers:
- You don’t need a full gym set-up (or make the trip to the gym) to make a start. Be creative with what you have at home: Backpacks with books, plastic bottles with water or sand, cans or packets of rice are all good for simple training.
- If you can’t get up seated exercises are great, even stomping on the ground can be effective – time for a temper tantrum?
- Keep a journal of how many times you can perform a simple lift such as lifting a bag of rice with both hands over your head, including the weight of the bag. When you are able to perform that specific lift easily, say eight times in a row, increase the weight so that it becomes a little more challenging to repeat the lift eight times. Repeat 🙂
- It is very normal to be a little sore in your muscles for two days after you have lifted around some heavy backpacks or filled bottles. To give your muscles enough rest, plan to do around three sessions a week, separated out by days where you do your other activities.
- Stick to the same set of simple lifts for the first few months. Consistency is key but equally don’t beat yourself up if you have skipped a session or two. Remember you are still on the road to stronger bones compared to not lifting.
If you are keen to learn more about training for strength over the next months, keep an eye on this spot, follow me or subscribe to the blogpost. Also, feel free to reach out to me via my website to arrange for a free call to see whether you would like to work with me one on one in rehabbing an injury or getting you underway toward a health goal. I look forward to hearing from you.
References (for the extra keen)
Bennell et al. (2000)
Muir et al. (2013)
Martyn-St James et al. (2009)
Parry et al (2015)