Osteoporosis

Strong against fractures - Prevention of osteoporosis 

The benefits of strength training are not restricted to muscles. It also rebuilds bones. Alongside appropriate medication and the right diet, strength training for health is an effective antidote to a disease that affects one in three women after the menopause: osteoporosis (loss of bone mass).

Osteoporosis is the commonest metabolic disorder affecting bones.

It can occur at any age but is more likely to occur after the menopause. With age-related osteoporosis, the process by which the body makes bones and breaks them down is no longer in balance. Genetic predisposition, diet and sunlight determine the severity of osteoporosis but a failure to subject bones to sufficient loads is also a contributory factor. The result: bones become brittle and the risk of a fall increases.

Osteoporosis results in a reduction in bone mass, which in turn increases the risk of fractures. In the USA, more women die from the effects of fractures to the neck of the femur than from cancer of the breast and uterus combined. In our latitudes, about 12% of the population are diagnosed with the disease and 25% of women over 60 years of age have osteoporosis that is so advanced that the spine has deformed.

Although fewer men on average suffer from osteoporosis, the number is also increasing. In addition to hormonal factors and dietary habits, it is a lack of muscle resistance that is an important contributory factor.

Strength training helps combat osteoporosis because it not only develops muscles and tendons but also builds up bones. The example of osteoporosis is clear evidence that what we lack is not exercise per se but resistance. Moreover, research has shown that endurance training does not check the progress of osteoporosis.

Only strength training can reverse this process of decline

Kieser Training is successful in both the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Increases in muscle strength stimulate bones and increases the deposit of calcium. Bones become more robust. In addition, strength training improves intra-muscle coordination, reduces muscle response times and improves sensorimotor function, which in turn reduces the risk of falling. Increases in bone mineral density are measurable within 4 – 6 months, particularly in the lumbar spine, pelvis and neck of the femur.

Find out the benefits of Kieser Training for yourself. Come and try a free introductory session.

In short: Osteoporosis is a skeletal condition resulting in a progressive reduction in bone mass and a deterioration in internal bone structure.  Both processes are major factors in the reduction of bone strength and resilience and an increase in the fracture risk. Patients with osteoporotic bones are much likely, therefore suffer fractures. Strength training involves tension, pressure, bending and torsion and this process subjects bones to a mechanical load. This load increases the activity of osteoblasts, the bone cells responsible for the formation of collagen that is needed for bone strength.