The National Osteoporosis Foundation defines osteoporosis as a debilitating disease that causes bone fragility. While this disease potentially affects any bone, hip and spinal osteoporosis limit daily function and impede a healthy, productive lifestyle. The National Osteoporosis Foundations recommends practicing weight-bearing exercise as a preventative measure. Elastic bands provide a convenient, affordable and versatile workout.
Function
Most people know that exercise strengthens the muscles, but some are unaware of its effect on the bones. Just as weight-bearing activities increase muscle growth, requiring your bones to move while supporting your body weight increases bone density. The added mass protects your body against eventual bone loss. Weight-bearing exercise should start as early as possible. It's like a bank account. The more you put into it when you are younger, the less you will lose when you're older. Elastic bands, according to John Hopkins Medical University, provide one of the safest resistance training methods.
Benefits
While all weight-bearing workouts benefit the body, elastic band exercise provides added advantages. Most traditional exercise machines offer resistance in linear movement patterns. The bands impose resistance in all planes of movement, facilitating workouts that simulate sport movement and daily functional activities. Osteoporosis impedes comfortable performance of these movements. Staying in stay shape for your favorite sports, and staying capable of performing daily tasks is crucial to healthy aging.
Features
Elastic exercise band manufacturers color code their products, according to their resistance level. The bands come in different shapes and sizes. Some have handles, which provide ergonomic hand positioning during upper body workouts. Others, shaped like continuous loops, provide resistance during leg exercises. Take advantage of their low price by purchasing bands in different shapes and resistance level. Your elastic band workout will only prevent osteoporosis if it provides progressive resistance.
Types
Use longer bands placed under the feet and held at the hips or shoulders to add resistance to squat and lunge exercises. It's also possible to work the upper back and legs simultaneously. Place the band under your feet for the squat. Bend your knees, and push your hips back, as if you were hovering over a chair. Remain in this position, and extend your arms as your hands reach your hands toward the floor. Then, bend your elbows and squeeze your shoulder blades towards each other. Extend your arms and return to the starting position. This exercise also enforces proper lifting mechanics.
The continuous loop ankle bands enable weight-bearing hip workouts. Place the band around your ankles. Take a step to the right, and then bring your left leg in to meet it. Do eight steps to the right and eight to the left.
Considerations
Even though it's a different type of training, elastic band exercise follows the same rules as traditional resistance programs. Perform three weekly band workouts, and allow 48 hours of rest between training days. Perform three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions of each exercise. While it's difficult to determine how elastic band resistance compares to free weight resistance, most band manufacturers have a chart on their website that approximates the free weight equivalent for each band color.
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