Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health E-Zine
September 26, 2004
Vigorous Exercise Helps to Prevent Osteoporosis
A woman’s bones are strongest when she is twenty
years old. After that, she continues to lose bone for the rest of
her life, and for the first few years of menopause, the rate that
she loses bones more than triples. A study from the University of
Erlangen in Germany shows that vigorous exercise during the
menopause helps prevent osteoporosis (Archives of Internal
Medicine, May 24, 2004). In this study, fifty women lifted weights
in group training sessions twice a week, and exercised by
themselves twice a week. They also took calcium and vitamin D.
As their muscles became stronger, so did their bones. Their
blood cholesterol levels dropped significantly and they
complained far less about muscle and joint pains. This study
shows that strengthening muscles also strengthens bones and
that women who exercise vigorously in later life may have less
muscle and joint pain.
Other studies have shown that women can benefit from a
strength training program at any age to prevent osteoporosis or
slow its progression. Join a gym that has weight-training
machines and pick six to ten of the machines. Have the instructor
help you select the appropriate weights and teach you how to
use the machines properly. Do a set of eight movements in a
row on the first machine, rest a few seconds and then do two
more sets of eight. Do this on each of the machines. Repeat the
routine two or three times a week. It's never too late to start.
