Bone Health Across the Lifespan

I read an interesting article in the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Certified News today. The article was about bone health and how to protect it at different times in a persons development.

Succinctly:
Children or Youth would be building their bone density and it is crucial that they do this in their early years so that they can withstand the amount they will lose as they get older, even in the best of situations. We expect that kids are healthy and trim and if so, then high impact activities are recommended. Sports like tennis, gymnastics, basketball, soccer and also running are to be encouraged. Be careful with this however as it is also true that injuries in joints at early ages can lead to osteoarthritis later. (this is also true if joints lack of osteogenic stress.) Plyometrics are also good for building bone. This includes jumping, hopping, big jumping jacks, even skipping. Resistance training is also recommended though one is to be mindful that the only bones that benefit are the ones that are worked. Not a lot of bone stress occurs with weight training, but the hips can be targeted with leg presses, for example. So at this stage we are concerned with building bone mass.

In middle age we are concerned with preserving the bone mass we have attained at earlier ages. People who have been doing high impact exercise should continue to do so. Walking, swimming and bicycling are not considered high impact activity. Otherwise, moderate impact activity as well as resistance training can be used here. Moderate impact activity does include walking and jogging. People here can continue with sports such as tennis and can use stair climbing and elliptical machines in the gym. Here were want to maintain bone mass.

In some middle aged people and more older persons, bone mass decline can be enough to be considered either osteopenic or osteoporotic. Osteopenia is bone loss that is more than would be expected for age and more than is normal for the general population at that age. It is imperative that bone loss be stopped and bone mass preserved to avoid the very painful and debilitating osteoporosis. Weight bearing activities are still recommended but high impact sports are not. Resistance training is always recommended. People with osteopenia may be prescribed bone loss medicines, though they are not themselves without risk. There is not strong evidence that pills alone make a difference, but pills plus resistance training have been effective in restoring some bone mineral density. Calcium and Vitamin D supplementation is also used. I lean more towards calcium in foods and Vitamin D supplements myself. Again, this is preventing further bone density loss.

People with osteoporosis have to be careful.. Falls can break bones and broken bones can lead to further disability and decline in functioning. This is also a very painful condition. It is crucial then, that persons here reduce their fall risk and that can be done by exercises that improve balance and agility. Walking and stationary biking can be used in this group. Osteoporosis is an irreversible condition that affects both men and women. Smoking and lack of physical activity are risk factors, as are being thin and white. In this stage, usually in late late life, the focus is on preventing bone breakage.

okay, then.. get up and build those bones!