Bone-loading exercises and a proper diet are essential components of a prevention plan for osteoporosis. The American Council on Exercise (ACE), a top authority on fitness, recommends lower body strength training exercises to start building stronger bones today. These exercises also increase strength and coordination which will reduce the chances of other types of injuries. There are a variety of strength machines which effectively work the calf muscles in the lower legs, and squat machines are good for a total lower-body workout.
Smith Squats
The smith machine has a straight bar that moves only in the vertical plane and it is suspended by a counter-weighted system. The smith machine offers you the chance to perform essential compound strength training movements, such as squats and bench presses, in a way that is safer than using a free bar. At any point in the movement, the smith machine allows you to lock the bar down and rest. When you do squats on a smith machine, you can lean back into the bar, which allows you to drop lower, keeping your knees behind your toes. This depth allows you to work the gluteal muscles more than most exercises.
Vertical Leg Press
Not everyone can tolerate doing squats with a straight bar sitting on their shoulders. The vertical leg press machine stimulates a squat without the discomfort associated with having a straight bar sitting on your shoulders. Using a vertical leg press machine, you lie on your back with your feet pressing up on a pad. The pad will lower towards you and you press it back up. This movement works the same muscle groups as regular squats, but you might find it to be much more comfortable.
Standing Calf Raises
The standing calf raise machine works the calf muscles. There are two calf muscles, the gastrocnemius and the soleus. The gastrocnemius is the larger muscle on the outside of your lower leg and the soleus is a smaller muscle that sits underneath it. When you do standing calf raises you are mostly using your gastronemius to do the movement. Using the standing calf raise machine, you place pads on your shoulders, your toe are up on a step, and your heels drop towards the ground. You should keep your knees slightly bent, but do not bend at the knees while doing the movement. By lowering your heels and then raising them, you will get an intensive calf workout.
Seated Calf Raises
The unlike the gastrocnemius, the soleus only crosses over one joint, the ankle. When you are in a seated position, your legs are bent and this causes your gastrocnemius muscle to be ineffective at lifting weight across the ankle joint. The seated calf raise machine will focus on your soleus muscle. The movement is very similar to the standing calf raises, but the pads sit on your knees rather than your shoulders. Always work a full range of motion, but never go lower than what feels comfortable.
References
- FitStep.com: Anatomy of the Calf Muscles
- Georgia State University: Lower Body Strength Training Exercises
- Medical News Today: How To Build Strong Bones and Prevent Osteoporosis - American Council On Exercise Offers Three Moves To Care For Your Bones
- ExerciseEtc.Inc.: Functional Training vs. Machine Training: Free Weight Squat vs. Smith Squat?
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