Exercise is extremely important in all ages, but especially for youth and teenagers.  There is prominent evidence that when exercise is performed on the growing skeleton, it has a greater capacity to add new bone than does mature bone.  Studies show the greatest bone building occurs in between the ages of 8 and 18.  The trend in bone is that it continues to build until 30 years of age and then levels off until it declines after the age of 50.  We can influence bone by making it stronger and decreasing bone loss once it has begun through exercise, good nutrition, and medical assessment.

• Bone responds to exercise stress. Bones like sudden, forceful activities, like jumping off a step or running up some stairs. Gymnasts develop strong bones by the impact exercise their bones go through.
• Weight lifters also have bones.  Weight lifting is a type of resistive exercise, where the muscular pull on the bone increases the bone strength. You can use weights, gym exercise machines, or tubes/bands.  Bone needs more intense, sudden forces so you don’t have to do a lot.  We recommend one set of 8-10 repetitions.  If you can do 12 repetitions then you should increase the weight.  Studies show that exercise 2-3 times/week is good for bone.
• Exercise is site specific on bone.  So a tennis player will have better bone density in their racket arm than the other one, and a runner will have better bone density in their legs than arms. Back extension exercises are the best for your spine; this is when you bend backwards while in standing position or lying on your stomach.  Studies also show that exercises in which you bend forward from the waist or do exercises like sit ups can cause fractures in an osteoporotic spine, so we recommend avoiding these exercises and bending from the hips. Twisting the spine while standing or sitting can cause injury to the spine.  If you like to stretch your back, you can rotate your back while lying on the ground or table surface. 

Other factors to avoid fractures and improve bone health

• Posture is very important to prevent or minimize spine deformities with osteoporosis.  Often people with osteoporosis progressively bend forward and struggle to stand up straight; consequently an individual can loose 3-4 inches in height. Postural exercises can prevent this deformity and decrease the progression once it has begun.
• Balance is extremely important for fall prevention and fracture prevention.  The good news is that if you do exercises that build strength, this also helps your balance. A few ways to work on your balance include standing on one leg, putting one foot in front of the other or balancing on a balance board.  Working on your balance at least 2 times a week can make a big difference.  Balance exercises should be challenging, so having a good support to hold on to if needed is recommended.

Build a Bone Program

We have a great class offered each month that includes more than 8 hours of Bone Building information. The focus of the class is on exercise but we include nutrition and medicine to address all the important issues.  We have been running this program at the University Orthopedic Center since 2005 and it has helped many people. A common comment is “it is great to come and get all the information at one place”.  We have all ages of women and men in the class; age ranges from 20’s to 90’s.  For more information check our website at: healthcare.utah.edu/orthopaedics/specialties/buildabone/index.html  You can register for classes on the web or call 801-587-7109.

Article Updated:  March 11, 2009