Physical exercise is a critical part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Less physical activity increases your risk of Osteoporosis and bone fracture, especially of the hip, spine, and wrist. All this is due to low bone density; however, strength training exercises can improve your bone density.
How do Strength Training Exercises improve Bone Density?
Strength training exercises use resistance to affect muscle contractions, which can help increase bone, ligament, and muscle strength; improve joint function; and increase bone density. It can also slow down age-related muscle loss, reduce risk of injury, ease arthritic pain and back pain, develop stronger bones, and prevent bone-thinning i.e. osteoporosis.
Strength training exercises put more force on the bone, making them stronger and denser; hence, they are called the best bone builders.
Weight lifting, curls and bench presses, dancing, climbing stairs, and brisk walks can put stress on the bones and increase the calcium levels in the bones. For women, it is best to start strength training before the onset of menopause.
Exercises to Build Bone Density
Goblet Squat: Squat holding a weight in front of your chest
Step Ups: Use a bench or stepper and keep stepping on and off, holding a weight
Lunges: This exercise uses your hip and leg muscles to balance your weight on one leg. You can try forward lunges, reverse lunges, and side lunges.
Push-Up: This helps to strengthen your shoulder muscles and bones
There are also various yoga poses which can strengthen your hips, spine, and wrists without damaging your cartilages or joints. It only strengthens your muscles and creates tension on the bones. Some of these yoga poses are:
Utkatasana (chair pose): This strengthens and stabilises the hip region, which is more prone to osteoporosis
Bhujangasana (cobra pose): It strengthens the upper back muscles and spine, and helps prevent compression fractures
Virabhadrasana I and II (Warrior Pose), Trikonasana (Triangle Pose), Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog), Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward Facing Dog), and Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose) are a few other poses that can be helpful.
As you age, you may develop problems like low bone density, which can lead to osteoporosis and your bones becoming more prone to injury. Practise strength training exercises to overcome these problems and lead a healthy life
