Weight Training for Bone Density and Longevity

Weight training and conditioning is viewed as a bodybuilding concept or purely fitness based, but it has much more benefits than just personal aesthetics. Individuals will tell you about how they use to train when they were younger and the physical shape they use to be in but why did this stop. As we age it is more important to maintain lean muscle mass not just for males but for females also. The real functional benefits come in terms of bone density and living a longer healthier life.

Personal training will help to keep you motivated, burn fat, maintain lean muscle mass and therefore bone density. Weight training provides a response in the body due to dealing with increased load on a regular basis to increase bone density. Through these stimuli the body will increase bone formation whereas with no stimuli it has the potential to decrease as we age. The more load placed on the muscle the larger it will grow and more of the same applies to our skeletal system. Not only weight training but any exercise that applies force to the body will have the same effect.

Now the basis behind this is load so we need to establish which exercises place the correct amount of load and it the correct way. In terms of weight training we want to target the compound or functional exercises not withstanding isolation exercises which will still be beneficial. For example the bench press, squats, lunges, step ups, dead lifts and overhead press. These are multi joint exercises which place load on multiple muscle groups and also multiple bones. This will highly contribute to the formation of calcium at these bone sites. In terms of cardiovascular exercises that are beneficial we need to target running, power walking, climbing exercises or even dancing. This will promote stress on the body and on our skeletal system. So when it comes to choosing the correct exercises the emphasis should be on load. Due to this any exercise that does not place load on the body for example swimming or cycling will not be beneficial.

The same applies to bones as it would to building muscle mass. One session a week will not contribute to this overall mass but two to three and beyond would be highly effective together with good nutrition. These sessions should contain the above examples of exercises or similar and training sessions should last a minimum of 30 minutes.

As we age we lose muscle mass, gain fat easier, lose mobility and overall strength and balance. This leads to a corresponding decrease in bone mass or in medical terms osteoporosis (thinning of the bone). As we age without exercise and maintaining this structure it means we are more likely to suffer from frailty and fracture. If we haven't maintained this density as we age and we fall then we are more likely to fracture a bone with the most common been the hip. The fracture of the hip bone is one of the highest admissions of older people into nursing homes.

Through the above training methods with or without the help of a personal trainer we can maintain bone health. Resistance training as we age contributes to fat loss, muscle mass and bone formation. Therefore we have a stronger skeletal and muscular system which will decrease the likelihood of frailty or fracture as we age.

I-Perth-Personal-Trainer or IPPT as we like to be known specialize in helping you develop your bodies how you see yourself. Through strength and conditioning programs we assist you in living a fitter, stronger and healthier life. If you have goals to increase strength, build muscle, lose/burn fat or become fitter as a whole IPPT can help. Through compound, functional or even isolation exercises we cover all bases.

For a Personal Trainer Perth visit IPPT and book now online.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Daniel_Basray/932276

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