Which exercises stimulate bone growth

Weight-bearing activity is critical for bone health. The stress on the bones that results from weight-bearing activities like running, jumping, and lifting weights or loading the skeleton in a compressive manner stimulates bone building. Weight slightly compresses the bone matrix, triggering the cells to absorb more calcium and other minerals, and ultimately increasing bone density. The amount of weight that causes this response from the bone is called “osteogenic loading” because it takes a certain “load” to stimulate the bone-building cells. In contrast, “unloading” the bones from prolonged bed rest or space travel can result in loss of bone density. While normal daily activities are sufficient to prevent the harmful effects of unloading, significant “loading” appears to be required to increase bone mineral density.

But what about yoga?

But what about Pilates?

What about weight vests?

What about swimming?

How about Zumba?

Reformer Pilates?

Bicycle?

Rowing?

No, we didn’t forget to mention any ot these; we didn’t mention them because they don’t provide the stimulus for bone growth. This doesn’t mean all those activities are useless; you can still get health benefits from any movement. Cardiovascular fitness, endurance, flexibility, balancing, energy optimization, stress relief, enjoyment, etc.

If you enjoy them or you are already doing other activities, keep doing them, but please, make some room for some strength training for the sake of your bones.

Can you still be losing bone mass even after medication and strength training?

The answer is: Yes! This was happening to a new client, and she was losing hope.

When I asked what kind of resistance training she was doing, she mentioned a bunch of isolation exercises with lower loads and some machines.

The problem with only isolation exercises is that they work a certain muscle but may have very little or no effect in loading the skeletal mass. Particularly if you are sitting on those machines.

To strengthen bones, you have to load the bones. One of the most effective ways to load the bones is by applying a compression load. In other words, you should hold weight that is heavier than what you usually carry (purse, toddler, some vests, etc.) consistently in a progressive manner.

This lets the body know that you will be consistently needing to carry that new load, so it had better step up to the chore.

But there is one more important thing we need to pay attention to.

You can’t build muscle or bone out of thin air.

Bones and muscles are built and reconstructed out of amino acids (coming from the proteins we eat), so you also have to make sure you are consuming enough protein in order for the body to have enough amino acids available, not only to repair and build tissues like skin, hair, and organs, but also to utilize for maintaining, and building muscle and bone tissue. 

You also need enough calories (energy) available because if you are in a caloric deficit (diet), you enter a catabolic state (losing, not building). So, you have to make sure that you are focusing on building; this can happen at maintenance and even within a slight caloric deficit as long as protein intake is high to spare losing muscle/bone mass.

If you focus on the important things and do them consistently, you can help your body perform better and become stronger and more resilient.

Becoming unbreakable is within reach. Let’s do it!