I wish someone had told me when I was 30 that I should look
after my bones! For both men and woman, age 30 is when you
have the maximum strength and density in your bones. It's
downhill all the way after that unless you put some stress
on those bones.
So nobody mentioned all this when I was 30! Never heard of
osteoporosis. Old ladies had dowager humps. I didn't know
why.
It hasn't been that long since osteoporosis has come to the
forefront. Now we know that osteoporosis is a disease in
which bones become fragile, lose mass and are more likely
to fracture. It's not just woman who get osteoporosis
either. According the the National Osteoporosis
Foundation, more than 44 million Americans are affected by
osteoporosis. That includes me.
I have discovered that one of the most important things you
can do to ward off or reverse osteoporosis is to exercise
with weights. Stress and strain on your bones stimulates
the formation of new dense bone. Your bone cells are
constantly breaking down to be replaced with new stronger
cells if they are stressed.
To keep your bones strong you need sufficient calcium,
vitamin D, and weight bearing exercise. If you continue
this kind of exercise you will minimize bone loss later in
life. No matter what your age, if you engage in regular
weight bearing exercise you will maintain higher bone
density.
If you have been a couch potato, chances are your bones are
losing mass and becoming brittle. So get up off that couch
and strengthen those bones. Your bone mass can be
increased as much as 5 to 10 percent or more by exercising
with weights.
Exercise is good for the cardiovascular and respirator
system - it improves the circulation of blood throughout
the body. Exercise increases your good cholesterol level.
Exercise maintains strong and healthy bone and muscle.
Bone density and bone mass are increased. Stress and
depression reduced. Exercise even helps in getting a good
night's sleep.
You will notice the benefits of an exercise program when
your body starts firming up. Fat will start burning off,
and even if you can't see your bones, they will also be
benefitting from your exercise. ( I know mine have. )
Adding muscle to your body through weight training will
often increase your metabolic rate. If you increase your
metabolism you increase the amount of fat burning enzymes
in your body. This means you will burn more body fat even
at rest.
If you are anywhere over 30 there is no better time than
now to build and maintain your bones with a vigorous weight
training program. It doesn't have to take up a lot of your
time. Exercising vigorously for a surprising minimal
amount of time a day will not only increase your bone mass,
but you will gain muscle strength, lose weight, and achieve
a body fitness you will love.
----------------------------------------------------
Marsh Nelson A senior interested in helping people get to
a healthy senior age. For a great 12 minute routine to
keep those bones strong, go to:
http://www.enjoybodyfitness.com
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