Weight-bearing exercises or exercises done standing on your two feet are excellent for building strong bones. Such exercises may be aerobic or anaerobic. Aerobic simply means your muscle cells need oxygen to convert glucose into energy your cells can use while anaerobic means your muscle cells do not need oxygen to produce energy. Because muscles and bones adapt to exercise, you must progressively increase the intensity of your aerobic and anaerobic workouts to continue to strengthen your bones.
Cardiovascular and Muscular Exercise
Cardiovascular exercise is generally referred to as aerobic exercise or exercise that specifically improves the function of your heart, blood vessels and lungs, lasting more than three minutes. Muscular exercise is generally referred to as anaerobic exercise or exercise that specifically improves the function of your skeletal muscles, lasting less than three minutes. As long as cardiovascular and muscular exercises are done standing on your feet, they will improve the strength of your bones. Riding a stationary bicycle is an aerobic exercise, but it is not a weight-bearing exercise. Leg extensions and leg curls are anaerobic exercises, but they are not weight-bearing exercises. Weight-bearing exercises are commonly prescribed for strong bones because they strengthen the key components of your skeleton including your spinal, pelvic and thigh bones.
General Guidelines
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends adults engage in weight-bearing aerobic activities for 30 to 60 minutes per day for three to five days per week. The association further suggests you complete weight-bearing anaerobic exercises for 30 to 60 minutes per day for two to three days per week to achieve and preserve bone health.
Squats
The squat exercise is a weight-bearing, anaerobic exercise that is a fundamental component of a resistance training program. It is most effective for building strong bones when done with a barbell across the back of your head and shoulders, at the base of your neck. The exercise is performed by placing your feet about shoulder-width apart then bending your hips and knees to lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor; push through your feet, contracting your leg muscles to stand erect. Starting with just the weight of the barbell reduces your risk of sprains and strains. To continue to enhance the strength of your bones, you must gradually add weight to the bar in 5- to 10-pound increments. After your initial weeks of training, you must use moderate to heavy weights so that you can only complete up to 12 repetitions per set for four to six sets.
Jogging and Walking
Walking briskly is a weight-bearing, aerobic activity, but your body will quickly adapt to such an exercise. Improve the strength of your bones by adding jogging or sprinting intervals to your walk. For instance, walk for three minutes then jog for 30 to 60 seconds until you have completed a 30-minute workout. Gradually increase the duration of your session to 60 minutes. Because your body will adapt to your new routine again, continue to change the ratio of walking to jogging and perhaps jog at a faster pace. Consider incorporating a different route with plenty of hills.
References
- “Exercise Physiology, Energy, Nutrition & Human Performance”; William McArdle, et al.; 2007
- “Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning”; Thomas R. Baechl, et al.; 2000
- American College of Sports Medicine: Physical Activity and Bone Health; Wendy Kohrt, Ph.D., et al.; 2004
