Over 40 million Americans either have osteoporosis or are at a high risk for developing the disease according to an October 2010 article by the Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases National Resource Center. While simulated ski machines such as the Nordic Track,don't provide the very best exercise for preventing osteoporosis and building bone density, because they provide weight-bearing exercise they can contribute to reducing your risk of developing bone diseases. If you eat foods and supplements high in calcium and vitamin D and if you don't smoke or drink high-phosphate sodas, you will reduce your risk of osteoporosis even more.
Maintaining and Building Bones
After age 35, both men and women begin to lose up to 1 percent of bone density each year due to the normal aging process, according to Miriam Nelson, author of "Strong Women Stay Young." After that time, your bones do still gain mass, but without exercise and adequate nutrition, they decrease in mass and density faster than they grow.
Weight-bearing Exercise
If you want to build bone density most effectively, choose high impact, weight-bearing exercises such as gymnastics or basketball. These sports require jumping as well as what the American College of Sports Medicine calls "odd-impact loads" to your body, when you twist and reach.
However, because you are on your feet with the force of gravity pushing against you, using the Nordic Track does provide the weight-bearing exercise essential for increasing your bone density, according to the National Institutes of Health. It is low-impact exercise, but it is weight-bearing all the same.
Resistance Exercise
Resistance exercises are those that strengthen your muscles and increase their size, thus putting more strain on your bones and making them stronger as well. The Nordic Track cords do just that. The upper body movements build muscles in your arms, back and shoulders as well as those in your legs. The arm movements exercise some of the parts of your body more commonly at risk for developing osteoporosis such as the upper arm at the shoulder, the forearm at the wrist and the spine, according to the American Council on Exercise.
Frequency of Weight-bearing Exercise
Because the Nordic Track and other simulated ski machines give you cardiovascular exercise as well as weight-bearing exercise and resistance training, you can use the machines every day. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, you need a minimum of two and ½ hours of moderate-intensity cardio exercise each week and muscle-strengthening exercise on two or more days a week.
References
- NIH Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases National Resource Center: Osteoporosis Handout on Health
- American Council on Exercise: Prevent Osteoporosis Now
- "Strong Women Stay Young"; Miriam Nelson; 2000
- American College of Sports Medicine: "Exercise is Medicine" for Building Strong Bones in Adolescent Girls
- NIH Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases National Resource Center: Once Is Enough: A Guide to Preventing Future Fractures
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans
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