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Osteoporosis
Exercise Helps Build Stronger Bones
Miriam Nelson, M.D., has published a study
in The Journal of the American Medical Association, showing
that twice weekly strength training sessions helped postmenopausal
women preserve bone density while improving muscle mass, strength
and balance. Dr. Nelson said that one of the things people are
most afraid of is becoming frail and weak and having fractures.
More than 25 million Americans, 80 percent
of them women, have osteoporosis, a bone-weakening disease that
leads to more than 1.5 million fractures each year. Older women
are at greatest risk, since the decrease in estrogen production
at menopause typically results in bone loss. For this reason,
Dr. Nelson noted that there is a lot of pressure in the medical
community for women to take estrogen. But concern about potential
side effects of hormone replacement therapy have left many of
them looking for alternatives.
Dr. Nelson states that even the frail elderly
with chronic diseases have boosted strength and functioning
after working out with weights. Not only does strength training
have a very potent effect on bones, but it can improve balance,
muscle strength and activity levels, all of which make people
less likely to fall and get a fracture.
Dr. Nelson's study involved 39 sedentary women
aged 50 to 70 who were not on estrogen therapy or other medications
affecting bone density Twenty women began a program of high-intensity
strength training sessions that lasted about 40 minutes twice
a week, while 19 women remained sedentary. After one year, the
weight trainers gained 1 percent in bone density, while the
sedentary group lost 2.5 percent. Balance improved by 14 percent
among the exercisers, compared with a 9 percent decline in the
control group. Spontaneous physical activity increased by almost
27 percent among weight trainers; sedentary women decreased
activity by about the same amount.
After one year of strength training, these
women emerged physiologically younger by 15 to 20 years. They
started walking, gardening, canoeing, carrying two large grocery
bags at a time instead of one small one.
But some experts caution that exercise should
not be viewed as a substitute for hormone replacement therapy
at the time of menopause. For someone who already has low bone
mass, exercise and calcium supplements should be considered
along with hormones or other medications that increase bone
density. Women and men who want to strengthen bones and muscles
should:
Perform 8 to 10 strength-training exercises
involving the body's major muscle groups two to three times
a week. Choose a weight you can lift at least 8 but no more
than 10 times.
Get instruction from a qualified professional
who is certified by a reputable organization such as the American
College of Sports Medicine or the American Council on Exercise.
Engage in a weight-bearing activity, such as brisk walking,
stair-climbing or jogging. Women over 40 and men over 50 or
people with risk factors for heart disease should check with
a physician before beginning a vigorous exercise program. Adolescent
girls, in particular, should be encouraged to exercise, consume
calcium-rich foods and avoid cigarettes (which are linked to
bone loss), since women typically reach peak bone mass around
age 20.
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