Young people don’t think much about the problems that come along with old age. The youth are more focused on getting a work promotion, where to take their next vacation, or this weekend’s party.

Major health problems can arise through aging brought on by weak and brittle bones and declining muscle mass. Age-related deterioration of muscles and bones lead to stature frailty which raises the possibility of bone fracture. Such injuries can quickly make an elderly person reliant on others.

Building Bone Mass

Osteoporosis and hip injuries are two debilitating occurrences that commonly affect us as we age. A host of studies show that strength training increases bone density as well as builds supportive muscle mass around joints and sockets. Strengthening muscle and bone while you still are able to exercise with intensity will greatly reduce the risk of contracting osteoporosis or breaking a hip in the future.

Many people turn to calcium supplements for bone density, but your body needs more than just calcium. Magnesium, as well as other nutrients, is required to assimilate calcium into the bones. A regular strength training program is also required so that your body retains the calcium. If you aren’t placing a demand on your bones to grow and strengthen then they won’t absorb calcium as readily. Therefore, calcium supplementation by itself will not be sufficient for strengthening bones.

Study Results

Numerous studies reveal that strength training is extremely effective at increasing bone mass, especially in the spinal column. One study conducted by McMaster University in Ontario showed that spinal bone mass in postmenopausal women increased by 9% after completing a year-long strength training program. Women who did not perform any exercise decreased in overall bone density.

Another study by Virginia Hopkins and Earl Mindell, published in Prescription Alternatives, showed the same benefit of exercise on bone density. One group of older women exercised 2 days a week for a year in a high intensity weight training program while another control group of women the same age did not participate in any exercise during that same period. The group of women who exercised produced a 1% increase in their bone density. The control group who did not exercise showed a 1.8% to 2.5% decrease in bone density. Those in the exercise program also showed increased muscle strength and better balance than the non-exercise group.

Strength Training for a Better Life

Regardless of your age, participating in a strength training program greatly increases your overall health. The improved bone density, greater muscle strength and better balance will all serve you well in your later years.

When it comes to strength training, it is actually most beneficial to complete a variety of exercises. By changing up and combining the physical impact of aerobic exercises with the pressures of weight bearing exercises, you cause your body to stimulate a greater degree of bone formation. Building stronger bones works along the same principle as increasing muscle mass… the more demand you place on them, the stronger and denser they become.

It’s Never Too Late to Start

Regardless of how old you are, it’s not too late to begin a strength training program to increase bone density and improve your overall health. Although experts recommend that women are most benefited by beginning before menopause, they can still increase bone strength in post-menopause years.

One study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1994 revealed that women as old as 70 slightly increased bone density by lifting weights 2 times a week over the period of a year. Another study showed that both men and women improved balance, strength and walking speed by exercising on weight machines 3 times a week over just an 8 week period.