Greetings!
We hope you had a good and productive week! In the previous newsletter we had mentioned some of the health benefits proper strength training has to offer. This week Theo talks in detail about one of those benefits, in particular how resistance training is an effective method for improving the health of your bones. Enjoy the read!
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How does resistance training strengthen your bones?
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 | | Theo Ortega |
Bones. They provide structure to our bodies, protect our vital organs, produce blood and allow us to move. Overall, having strong bones gives us a stronger and healthier framework that is resistant to breaks and fractures. Among factors including our diet and other lifestyle choices, generally speaking as we age, the structural integrity of our bones begins to decline. One highly effective and efficient way of making our bones stronger and less prone to fractures is the regular performance of weight-bearing exercise.
Even though bone looks rigid and life-less at face-value, it is in fact, a living tissue. Throughout our lifespan, bone undergoes a process of building and re-building. It is through the act of doing weight-bearing exercises that engages our muscles which pulls on the bones stimulating them to become more dense. In effect, we are encouraging our bones to be more resilient and preventing them from reaching a brittle and fragile state.
It is important to note, however, that certain exercises are not considered effective with respect to bone building. Exercises that remove the effect of gravity on our bodies (eg. Swimming) and thus do not allow the muscles and bones to bear weight, will not have the desired effect of strengthening our bones. To strengthen our bones one needs to perform a strength training regimen using high-load and low repetitions.
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 | | Image courtesy of Wikipedia. |
What often pops into our minds when we connect 'aging' and 'bones' is the thought of "osteoporosis" (OP). In scientific terms, OP is characterized as a decline in bone mineral density and deterioration of bone tissue resulting in delicate or brittle bones. Studies show that after the age of 40, bone mineral density declines in a progressive manner, approximately 0.5% or more and especially among women. There are a number of risk factors, of which we cannot change, that can lead to osteoporosis and bone loss, for example: - Age = with older age there is an increased risk of OP
- Family history = OP is hereditary in nature
- Sex = OP more prevalent among women than men
Among slight changes in our diet and ceasing excessive smoking and/or drinking behaviours, one method of preventing gradual bone loss or OP is weight-bearing exercise. 
Fortunately, at New Element Training our focus on High Intensity Strength Training is an extremely efficient and effective way to load our muscles and bones with weight in a safe and controlled manner. Our medical grade machines follow the natural physiological motion of your muscles and joints in addition to providing continuous tension throughout the range of movement of the muscle. This allows you to not only increase strength but also to build healthy and strong bones.
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If you know of someone who could benefit from strengthening their bones, forward this article by clicking the link below:
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