Increase Bone Density with Strength Training
Good bones.
I’m sure you’re well aware by now that resistance training increases muscle size and strength. This is important for a myriad of previously discussed reasons and research shows that increased muscle mass and strength improves health outcomes and longevity. Simply put, there is an inverse relationship between muscle mass and all cause mortality. That’s great. We should all resistance train for bigger stronger muscles. But that’s not all it’s good for. What about bones? After all, hip fractures in older adults significantly increases mortality. Well, resistance training is good for that, too. Let’s find out why.
Resistance training puts a shearing force on the bones used in a weight bearing exercise and this makes the bones adapt to this demand. A shearing force is one that applies force in opposing directions at different ends of the bone and thus the bone must resist this force and strengthen itself to handle the demand. This type of force is the result of using a heavy training stimulus, which is why activities like yoga or cycling aren’t as beneficial for bone health, although they’re important for other reasons. The heavier the training stimulus, the more the bone has to reinforce itself.
For bone we can also apply the principle of progressive overload. Just like in strengthening muscles, we want to overload the bones little by little so that an adaptation occurs. This overloading communicates to the bones that they need to reinforce themselves. It’s important to remember that bones are living things that are constantly changing, just like other parts of the body, and they can get stronger and change as needed. However, as soon as you stop putting this demand on them, they start to weaken. Therefore, it’s paramount that resistance training occurs consistently. Afterall, most bone production happens in the early stages of life and in adulthood it’s a game of holding on to what we have. So it’s best to resistance train throughout life to hold on to as much bone density as possible.
So the takeaway here is that bones need to be strengthened, too. The best way to do this is through resistance training because it places a shearing force on the bones that is unique to this type of exercise. Resistance training 2 or 3 times a week should be sufficient to reap these benefits. It’s best to put the work in sooner rather than later because in adulthood you’re not really improving your bone density, rather you’re holding on to what you have. But also, it’s never too late to start. Do it now and it’ll increase your likelihood of living an active and mobile life in your later years.
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