What is Strength Training?

Strength training is an important part of any exercise regime. It is the act of using weights, resistance bands, or body weight to build muscle and improve overall physical fitness. Strength training can be beneficial for anyone, regardless of age or fitness level, as it helps to develop strength, power, and lean muscle mass.

Strength training can come in many forms; free weights, machines, kettlebells, and even calisthenics are all great ways to increase strength and tone muscles. This type of exercise not only builds physical strength but also increases mental toughness and will help you stay motivated on your journey toward better health. Additionally, strength training can help strengthen bones and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.

Incorporate Resistance Training 

Resistance exercises involve using weights or other forms of external force to create tension against your body’s muscles and joints. This forces the muscles to work harder than with traditional activities such as running or biking. Resistance exercise can target specific muscle groups based on intensity level which allows you to customize your routine for optimal results. Examples of resistance exercises include squats, lunges, shoulder presses, cable rows, and hamstring curls among others.

To effectively incorporate strength training into your workout routine start by consulting with a qualified trainer who can develop a personal plan that meets your needs and goals.

Progressively Increase Intensity

This simple technique will strengthen your muscles while also reducing the risk of injury or fatigue. Start by choosng an amount of weight that is comfortable for you to lift and perform reps with good form. As you get stronger, gradually add more weight until your muscles reach their maximum capability. This type of progressive approach will ensure that your muscles are challenged in a safe and effective way!

Monitor Your Performance

Monitoring your performance is key to getting the most out of every strength training session. Personal trainers can be a great asset when developing a strength training program tailored to each individual’s needs.

First, focus on form and technique rather than the number of reps or weights lifted. Poor form can increase your risk for injury, so it’s important that you practice proper body mechanics when lifting weights. Make sure that each movement is executed with control and accuracy. If needed, ask a personal trainer for guidance in order to perfect movement patterns before adding more weight or reps into the equation.

Rest and Recover Properly

One of the key elements to a successful strength training program is to ensure that you’re taking time to rest and recover between workouts. Taking adequate rest days can make all the difference in how your body responds and adapts to physical activity, especially if you are lifting weights.

When strength training, it’s important to allow your muscles enough time to repair themselves between sessions. Muscles need time to rest and rebuild after a tough workout. If you don’t give yourself this much-needed break, it can lead to an increased risk of injury or overtraining syndrome. So take at least one day off each week from strenuous exercise, and consider adding more days if necessary dependng on how intense your program is.

Keep Track of Your Progress 

Strength training is an important component of any workout routine. It can help you build muscle, improve your strength and endurance, and help you reach your fitness goals faster. However, for many people, it can be difficult to incorporate strength training into their workouts. One way to ensure that you are getting the most out of your strength training is to keep track of your progress.

By keeping a record of how much weight you lift over time or the number of repetitions you do in each set, you will have a tangible way to measure your progress and set new goals. A personal trainer can also be a great asset when it comes to tracking progress since they are knowledgeable on proper form and technique as well as appropriate weights for various exercises.

Incorporating Strength Training into Your Workout Routine with a personal trainer at Le Physique

Strength training with a personal trainer at Le Physique is the perfect way to get started on your fitness journey. Not only will you get personalzed instruction, but you will also gain an understanding of how to properly execute exercises and build strength over time. Furthermore, you can take advantage of professional guidance and support that can help you stay motivated as you reach your fitness goals. With all the benefits of joining a gym or personal training session, why wait any longer?

The post How to Incorporate Strength Training into Your Workout Routine first appeared on Le Physique | Vancouver Personal Training.

No, it’s not a type of math, nor is it a measuring system, plyometrics is a group of exercises that build on power using quick bursts of force. This may sound intimidating, but plyometric exercises can be quite simple. In fact, we’ve already prepped you on the topic of ‘plyos’ in an earlier blog, AND it’s very likely that you have done jumping jacks at some point…but did you know that jumping jacks are a plyometric exercise? You have gotten yourself started already.

The science of plyometrics

As stated above, plyometrics works to develop power which is the combination of strength and speed. Power is the use of force over a specific range of motion and period of time.To produce this force, the muscle must contract in either a concentric or eccentric manner. Eccentric contractions (lengthening of the muscle while producing force) produce more force and utilize less energy than concentric contractions. This is due to the difference in recruitment of motor units.

Motor units are bundles of muscle fibers that are all innervated by the same motor neuron. They range in size and are recruited at different times during muscle contraction. The smallest motor units, known as slow-twitch fibers are recruited first and produce minimal force for a long period of time. The last motor units to be recruited are the largest, these are known as the fast-twitch fibers, which produce large forces but for short periods of time.

Eccentric contractions require less motor unit recruitment and in turn, less energy expenditure. This occurs because the load of the external force (ie. the dumbbell, the olympic bar) is greater than the force produced by the muscle. Wow, that was confusing! Let’s break it down with an example:

You are performing bicep curls with a 20lb dumbbell. As you curl the dumbbell up towards your shoulder, you are performing a concentric contraction (shortening of muscle while producing force). The muscle contracts and you can admire your big guns in the mirror as they are flexed. The next step of the movement is the lowering of the dumbbell back down towards the floor, this is the eccentric contraction! Your bicep is elongating but still producing a small force to control the speed of lowering of the dumbbell. The force of the dumbbell is greater than the force of your muscle, which is why it is lowering towards the floor.

To produce the greatest force and power from the muscle, we must combine eccentric and concentric contractions. An eccentric lengthening phase prior to a rapid concentric contraction produces the power, and therefore speed and force, that is the basis of plyometrics! This sequential eccentric/concentric contraction is called the stretch-shortening cycle. Through various plyometric exercises and training, you can adapt your muscles and generate more power to benefit you in all aspects of your life.

Benefits of plyometrics

Plyometrics is typically combined with resistance training to maximize benefits. In general, the most common result of the two is an increase in muscle size, an amazing benefit for those impacted by sarcopenia (age related loss of muscle mass). Did you know that ??as you age, you lose roughly 5-8% of muscle mass each decade after you turn 30? This might not sound like much, but the average American male is 5’9″ and weighs ~200 lbs. Each decade, that is around 10 lbs of muscle lost. By the time you’re 60 years old, you’ll have lost 30 lbs of muscle. This is why plyometrics can be so beneficial for older age groups!

This increase in size is seen most frequently in the leg muscles such as the quadriceps, hamstrings, and adductors, since jumping is a big aspect of plyometric training programs. However, programs can be created and altered based on your wants and needs. You may want to increase your agility, vertical and/or horizontal jump distance, or simply your balance… plyometrics training can be adapted to improve all of these. Sport specific training can also be completed to improve specific aspects of your athletic performance.

But what if you aren’t playing any sports right now, what reason should you have to try plyometrics? (Hint: see answer below)

Plyometrics and injury prevention

No one likes getting injured, and the time it takes to recover can set you back on your fitness journey. Plyometrics improves landing techniques as well as torque stability, both huge aspects of our daily lives. Ever feel that weird back pain when rotating while carrying something heavy? Upper body plyometric exercises can adapt muscles to improve torque and protect your body from injuries caused by routine tasks.

The last benefit I wanted to mention is improved bone density! This one is perhaps the most important impact if you are simply looking to stay healthy. The impact phases of plyometrics (ie. the landing) provides a stimulus for the body to lay down the building blocks to increase bone tissue. This is extremely beneficial for any age group to build strong bones and delay the effects of osteoporosis (age related decrease in bone mass). 

Plyometrics for Beginners

Prior to starting plyometric exercise, some trainers recommend being able to squat 1.5x your body weight for at least one rep. While this is a great way to ensure your joints/body are capable of handling the increased loads associated with the jumping aspects of plyometrics, it does not apply to all plyometric patterns. As long as you have a stable core and joints and a good range of motion, you will be good to go for low-impact/bouncing and beginner plyometrics. This way you can build your way up to doing high-impact plyometrics and see all the wonderful improvements you make on the way!

Now that you know what plyometric training is, and why it is so great, let’s get you started with a few beginner exercises to ease your way into a better you.

Jumping Jacks

1. Begin with your feet together and your arms glued to your sides
2. Jump in the air while spreading your legs and clapping your arms together above your head (exhale during this motion)
3. Land in this position
4. Jump in the air while bringing your arms back to your sides and bringing your legs back together
5. Repeat for periods of 30s – 1 minute and progress as necessary!

These guys might be doing it “Wrong” but they’re still jumping!

Jump Squats

1. Begin in a squat position with your arms tucked to your chest
2. Jump upwards and extend your arms backwards or to the sky to propel yourself upwards (exhale during this motion)
3. Land in the position you started in
4. Repeat for periods of 15s – 45s and progress as necessary!

Medicine Ball Chest Pass

1. Begin in a comfortable, low position with knees slightly bent and a strong base of support. Hold the medicine ball close to your chest
2. Extend your arms and throw the ball to a partner or a strong wall (exhale during this motion)
3. (Optional): Receive the ball by having your arms extended and bringing the ball back to the starting position as you catch it
4. Repeat for periods of 15s – 45s and progress as necessary!

Final remarks

Now that you know what plyometric training is, how it benefits you, and some examples of beginner exercises, you have everything you need to get started! If you do have injuries or already suffer from osteoporosis, it is best to get a doctor’s or trainer’s advice about whether you are able to incorporate these exercises into your program. There are however many different types of plyometric exercises that do not require jumping, or utilize specific muscles, making it a very flexible training type for anyone to try.

Happy exercising!

About the author: Sarra Pirmohamed

Sarra started playing sports at a very young age and has always loved competition and being active. She has been inspired to learn more about exercise physiology and rehabilitation and is currently enrolled at Simon Fraser University completing her degree.

The post Workout tips: Are Plyometrics for you? first appeared on Le Physique | Vancouver Personal Training.

Last week I took a Kundalini yoga class, a class that typically consists of many continuous repetitive movements (it really gets your heart and lungs working). About halfway through the class we’re all supercharged with body heat and sweating like animals. The teacher asks the class during a very intense sequence -which felt like never-ending squats, “are you breathing?”. Within a group of about 50 yogis, one student along the back wall yells “NO!”. Everyone laughs. They know they aren’t breathing either, guilty!

We all breathe, so why don’t we all know HOW to breathe? In my yoga classes, I find myself always guiding my students back to their breath because we always tend to lose it!

Finding Your Breath: Belly Breathing

I invite you to take a moment. Remove yourself from your busy day. Enter a quiet room, find a comfortable seat. If you can’t find a space to be alone in this moment, gently closing the eyes while practising this exercise helps.

To a count of 4 seconds, exhale all breath from your lungs.

Now, take a deep inhale to a count of 4 seconds. Breathe into your belly, rib cage, back, shoulders and chest. We’re aiming for full lung capacity here, keep expanding. You can imagine filling your belly like a balloon to help achieve this quality of expansion.

Once you cannot inhale anymore, take a nice 4 second exhale. Continue to exhale until you have no air left to release.

Now, repeat 7 more times. Keep your attention on the sensation of breathing. Let these be the deepest breaths you have taken all day, maybe even all week.

As you breathe notice how you feel. Tension dissolving in the body, mind quieting.

It feels GOOD, right?

The Mind/Body Connection & Breath

So why is it that when we intensely exercise, we stop breathing?

When we get really nervous, we stop breathing?

When we get stressed, we stop breathing?

Isn’t it counterintuitive? When our bodies actually expend more energy and require more oxygen our pulmonary system completely shuts down? Other than the valsalva maneuver, a breath retention reaction when lifting something too heavy, why would we want to put more stress on our bodies by holding our breath? This pattern of breathing holding is often related to how we’ve wired our minds to meet stress.

The incredible thing about our breath, unlike our heart rate, is we can directly consciously control it. Without awareness and control, our breath becomes an indicator of where our minds are at. The way our mind approaches stress can physically influence how the body and breath reacts.

When under pressure, we experience an increase in the sympathetic nervous system known as flight-flight-or-freeze response. When you aren’t fully aware and stressed (physically or mentally) the mind freezes, causing our lungs to engage the freeze response. This lack of oxygen transport to the muscles and brain hinders our ability to work at the most efficient rate, ultimately weakening the full potential of our bodies. When you don’t have a habitual deep breath, the lungs are required to breathe at an increased rate to supply the body with the required sources of oxygen and to expel carbon dioxide.

Suggested Breath Tips for Exercise

Nasal Breathing vs Mouth Breathing

When we experience intense physical exertion, the tendency is to start breathing through the mouth. Mouth breathing can have a cooling effect on the body, however isn’t an optimal habit to continue for long periods of time.

If possible, breathing primarily through your nose is suggested. The cilia, small hair lining of the nostrils work to filter, hydrate and warm or cool the air as need when it enters our lungs (Lawrence, 2019). On average, our cilia protects our body from over 20 billion foreign particles daily (Lawrence, 2019)!

Belly Breathing: Full Lung Capacity

The simple breath practice opening this article aims to help you find what it feels like to breathe fully. Most people only use about 10-20% of their entire lung capacity which is taxing on our energy system (Lawrence, 2019). Many people with poor posture and a sedentary lifestyle are shallow chest breathers (Lawrence, 2019).

Belly breathing engages the diaphragm to rise and fall with each breath. This deep breath massages the  digestive system, promoting healthy elimination to remove toxins (Lawrence, 2019). This breathing also stimulates the vagus nerve, which innervates organs of the body, improving bodily function (Lawrence, 2019).

Becoming more aware of deep breath eventually develops the habit to maintain a fuller breath on a regular basis, decrease the amount of energy required to breath so that energy can be used in the working muscles!

Strength Training: When to Inhale, When to Exhale

When weight training, there is a time to inhale and exhale. If you find yourself holding your breath, your body is giving you a sign you need to work with a weight that’s more accessible. Going very hard, doesn’t always mean good. If you’re not working at a safe rate or intensity for your system additional complications arise such as muscle strain/tears and overcompensation in other parts of the body leading to injury.

Inhalation is best supporting the body when releasing. During a bicep curl, it’s best to inhale when bringing your forearm back to a neutral position by straightening the elbow (Theifels, 2017).

Exhalation is best supporting the body when engaging. During a bicep curl, it’s best to exhale when engaging the agonist muscle (biceps) by bringing the elbow into flexion (Theifels, 2017).

Meditative Breath

Breath is also used as an ancient tool to cultivate relaxation and guide yogis to experience inner peace. Breath work is so important that it is identified as one of the 8 limbs of Ashtanga yoga, a fundamental element of this practise. Breath has become recognized in the western world as an important relaxation tool, even some fitness watches have a guided breath function to help you experience the powerful effects! By simply setting aside time to bring your awareness to breathing fully at a slower rate on a daily basis has many health benefits (TNN, 2017):

• Natural Painkiller – the body releases endorphins when deeply breathing, the feel good hormone!
• Improves Blood Flow – the physical expansion of the lungs keeps fluids moving, removing toxins at a faster rate!
• Improves Posture – when you fill your lungs fully, the spine straightens resulting in a healthier posture.
• Stimulates Lymphatic System – deep breathing helps get the lymph moving more efficiently for stronger immunity.
• Improves Digestion – calming the nervous system with breath helps us achieve a stronger ‘rest and digest’ response

Next time you’re feeling under pressure in the gym or in life, shift the way you approach stress by breathing into the experience to unlock your full potential.

Nicole LeClair

Nicole is a therapeutic yoga teacher and UBC kinesiology student passionate about holistic health and wellness. She aims to embrace a variety of perspectives to natural health and healing approaches. Her curiosity continues to fuel her journey in living a healthy lifestyle for her mind and body.

References

Lawrence, G. (2019). Breathing is Believing: The Importance of Nasal Breathing. Retrieved from https://www.gaiam.com/blogs/discover/breathing-is-believing-the-importance-of-nasal-breathing

Theifels, J. (2017, April 21). Breathe for a Better Workout. Retrieved from https://www.aarp.org/health/healthy-living/info-2017/breathe-exercise-workout.html

TTN. (2017, September 13). Health Benefits of Breathing Exercises. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/fitness/advantages-of-deep-breathing-exercises/articleshow/19213960.cms

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While sitting in a car (especially if you have an old school sports car with bucket seats!) is different than sitting at a desk, you still want to have great posture – but are we usually aware of our posture when we drive?

What is Good Driving Posture?

What does good driving posture look like? Generally, it means that we can draw a straight line through the ear canal, shoulder joint, chest, pelvis, and hips. When sitting in the car, the head should be in a neutral position. The back of the shoulders and lower back should touch the seat, and the back of the head should be lined up with the middle of the headrest. There should also be a slight bend in the arms when gripping the steering wheel, and a slight bend in the legs. Find a more detailed guide about adjusting your car to help with driving posture here.

Here is an example of good driving posture:

Alternatively, here is an example of poor driving posture: the neck is leaning forward, shoulders, and upper and lower back are rounded, pelvis is slouched, with too much bend in the arms and legs.

What Does Poor Posture Do?

Driving with poor posture affects several parts of the body including the hip flexors, gluteal, back, and neck muscles. Your body tries to compensate by lengthening these muscles to keep you upright. Over time, overworked and tight muscles make them harder to activate. This can lead to poor body alignment and posture.

Strengthening or stretching these muscles allow you to maintain good driving posture, and counteracts the tightness felt in a seated position. They also help with proper pelvic and spinal alignment, which prevents soreness or pain in problem areas such as the lower back and neck.

Go through these exercises 2-3 times. Even if you are pressed for time, taking 5-10 minutes to cycle through these exercises once each day can still make a difference!

Exercise 1: Bird Dog

• This exercise focuses on engaging your core and back muscles
• Throughout this exercise, focus on tucking your abdominals into your spine to engage your core
• Starting position: begin on all fours with your hands directly under your shoulders and knees under your hips
• Keeping your back and pelvis stable and in a straight line, reach your left arm forward and right leg back
• Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side to complete 1 repetition
• Repeat for 10 repetitions

Exercise 2: Hip Flexor Stretch

• In a lunged position: kneel with your left knee on the floor and right leg at a 90 degree angle in front of you
• Extend both your arms and place both hands on your right knee. This is so you can push down onto your knee and engage your core to stabilize your pelvis
• Keeping your back straight and squeezing your gluteal muscles slightly, slowly lean forward until you feel a stretch in the front of your right hip. Hold this position for 5 seconds
• Return to the lunged position and repeat on the other side
• Repeat for 8 repetitions on each side

Exercise 3: Incline Push-ups

• This exercise works on your pectoral, or chest, muscles while also keeping your core and back stabilized
• Stand facing a bench or an elevated platform (make sure it’s sturdy and safe to put weight on)
• Position your forefoot back from the bench or elevated platform with the body and arms straight
• Your arms should be perpendicular (90 degree) to your body
• Keeping your body straight, lower your chest onto the edge of the bench or sturdy platform by bending your arms. Remember to tuck in your abs to engage your core
• Push your body up using your arms until they are fully extended to complete the repetition
• Repeat for 12 repetitions

Exercise 4: Glute Bridge

• This exercise is great for working on the gluteal muscles while engaging the core
• Starting position: lay on your back, with your knees flexed slightly over 90 deg. and spread a few inches apart, and feet flat on the ground
• Contract your gluteal muscles to lift your hips off the ground
• Focus on engaging your core (think: tucking in your abdominalss) and keeping your back straight throughout the exercise
• Return to the starting position and repeat for 10 repetitions

Exercise 5: Neck Stretches

Keep your back straight and head in a neutral position facing forward for the following neck stretches!

Stretching my neck makes me super happy (as you can tell from this photo)!

Side-to-Side:

• This exercise can be done standing or sitting: keep your back straight and head in a neutral position facing forward
• Turn your head 90 degrees to the right and hold for 5 seconds
• Return to a neutral head position
• Repeat on the other side

Ear-to-Shoulder:

• This exercise can also be done standing or sitting: again, keep your back straight and head in a neutral position facing forward
• Tilt your head towards the right and hold for 5 seconds
• Return to a neutral head position
• Repeat on the other side

Chin Nods:

• Leaning against a wall, keep your back straight with your feet shoulder-width apart and positioned slightly away from the wall
• Keep the back of your head touching the wall and nod down (similar to nodding ‘yes’). Do not push your head into the wall
• Hold for 2-5 seconds and return to a neutral head position
• Repeat for 10 repetitions

If driving for long periods of time, be sure to take breaks. When I go on longer drives, I like to pull over and park (safely), walk around, and stretch. Additionally, I park further away from my destination so I can walk more, and help stretch out my body.

May Guan – Client Care Manager/Cardio Trainer

May developed her passion for fitness from participating in multiple sports at a young age – eventually finding her love for both playing and coaching volleyball. She is also an avid hiker and distance runner, and is always in search of a new challenge. May believes in fostering a fun, inclusive, and supportive environment where people can achieve their health-related goals.

The post 5 Exercises to Improve Driving Posture first appeared on Le Physique | Vancouver Personal Training.

As we age, our bones become increasingly fragile, and are more prone to injury. People often have the mindset that they can no longer do activities they once could and resort to staying indoors and living a sedentary lifestyle. Osteoporosis or the deterioration of bone tissue is natural to the aging process and shouldn’t prevent us from performing exercise. It is estimated that roughly 200 million people around the world are affected by this disease. Below are 3 types of exercises that you can perform to strengthen and maintain your bone health.

Low Impact exercise

Low impact exercise should be completed 3-5 times per week. These exercises result in the least amount of stress on your bones and enable you to increase your heart rate. Moderate to vigorous low impact activity can be completed in 15-60 minute sessions. They typically involve smooth fluid motions which limit damage to bones and joints.

• Swimming
• Walking
• Dancing
• Water Aerobics
• Tai Chi
• Dragon boating
• Cycling
• Kayaking

Mid-high impact exercise  

Mid-high impact activities should be limited to no more than 2 times per week. These activities can lead to an increased chance of injury. Please consult a medical professional and seek clearance before beginning a mid-high impact training program. When performed in an effective manner, mid-high impact training can increase bone mineral density and return you to doing activities you once did.  

• Basketball
• Running
• Karate
• Football
• Gymnastics
• Jumping rope
• Skiing
• Plyometrics

Resistance training

Resistance or strength training can be completed 2-3 times per week. It is recommended to do a full body workout using resistance bands or weights during each of these sessions. In addition, one day of rest should be taken in between sessions to allow for adequate recovery. For each exercise you should aim to perform 3 sets with 12-15 repetitions in each. 

• Dumbbells
• Barbells
• Resistance bands
• Body weight exercises
• Resistance training machines

Although exercise can play a vital role in maintaining strong bones,  it must be supplemented with a healthy diet consisting of calcium and vitamin D. Similar to muscles, bones strengthen when they undergo stress. By performing a regular exercise routine, we are able to build bone mass and enjoy activities of daily life without worry.

Kevin Kwok – Client Care Manager

Kevin enrolled in numerous sports program as a child, which exposed him to an active lifestyle early in life. He played ultimate frisbee competitively at the junior level while in high school. Kevin now focuses his training exclusively on dragon boating. He has been paddling for the past 2 years and hopes to make the Canadian National Team in 2019. He hopes he can motivate others to accomplish their short and long term fitness goals.

The post Can You Exercise With Osteoporosis? first appeared on Le Physique | Vancouver Personal Training.

What is Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is often called the silent disease because one can develop osteoporosis without experiencing any symptoms. Individuals diagnosed with osteoporosis are characterized by having low bone mass and deterioration of bone tissue. Some people can also get secondary osteoporosis, which is when other diseases (or treatments for other diseases) causes osteoporosis.

By looking at the image above we can compare the difference between normal looking bones and bones inhibited by osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is mainly common in the hip, spine, wrists and shoulders.

What exactly is happening to your bones?

In healthy adults, bone is being constantly being absorbed into the body and then rebuilt. This is called bone remodeling, in this process bone is removed daily in small amounts (resorption), followed by deposition of new minerals. A balance between resorption and deposition is crucial for maintaining bone strength. This balance is maintained by two main types of cells called osteoclasts and osteoblasts.

Osteoclasts have a key role in bone resorption, while osteoblasts are in charge of bone deposition. Osteoclasts contain highly active ion channels in their cell membrane that pump protons into the extracellular space thus lowering the pH of their microenvironment. This in turn dissolves the bone mineral causing bone resorption. This is followed by bone deposition of the osteoblasts laying down new bone material. A balance between the activities of these two cell types determines whether bone is made, lost or maintained. Osteopenia (bone weakening) and osteoporosis occur when this balance is not kept, and there is an excess amount of resorption taking place.

Bone mass and density however, increase and peak at around age 30 and then slowly bone loss starts taking place.

How do we differentiate from the normal bone loss that comes with age and osteoporosis?

The only reliable method for diagnosing osteoporosis is by performing a BMD (bone mineral density) test. A person with thinning bones may be diagnosed with osteopenia, which can then further develop into osteoporosis.

What might predispose you to osteoporosis?

• Family history of bone fracture.
• Loss of height (widow’s hump).
• Female sex
• Asian or white in race
• Lack of exercise
• Smoking
• Large alcohol consumption
• Previous broken bones
• Low body mass index (BMI)
• Chronic diseases such as anorexia nervosa or liver disease.
• Long-term corticosteroid or anticonvulsant drug therapy.

Stats & Facts

• Fractured bones as a result of osteoporosis are more common than heart attacks, stroke and breast cancer combined.
• No single cause for osteoporosis has been identified.
• Osteoporosis is prevalent in both men and women, and can strike at any age.
• Building strong bones in childhood and adolescence is your best defensive tool against osteoporosis later.
• Women and men both begin to lose their bone mass around their early 30’s, but women are more vulnerable to osteoporosis close to menopause (about 2-3 %/ year).
• 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men will suffer from an osteoporosis fracture in their lifetime.
• The overall yearly cost for treating osteoporosis in 2010 was over $2.3 billion.
• Osteoporotic hip fracture will undergo more bed days than patients suffering from a heart stroke, heart attack or diabetes.
• Without BMP testing 80% of patients with bone fractures, will not know that they suffer from osteoporosis therefore do not receive adequate osteoporosis treatment.

Exercising with Osteoporosis

Though one might think that exercise is possibly the worst thing anyone can do if they have osteoporosis because of the increased risk of bone fracture and overall bone frailty but this in fact is not true. Exercise has been proved to strengthen and helping individuals suffering from osteoporosis.

Always consult with your doctor before starting a new exercise program. The reason for this is that different types of exercise pose a different kind of risk. It is also important to perform a comprehensive risk assessment test so that the risk of fracture is known – by the individual, their doctor and supporting health care team (ex: kinesiologist, personal trainer or physiotherapist etc). When the risk of fracture is known, the team can then successfully implement exercises without placing the individual at risk.

Depending on your risk of fracture it is beneficial to do get the okay from your doctor for certain types of activity

What kind of exercises should I do?

Weight bearing exercises that force your muscles and bones to work against gravity, are the most effective in maintaining strong bones and overall heart health.

How does walking / jogging differ from using the elliptical or bike? Do ‘aerobic activities’ like the bike, swimming or elliptical machine count?”

Specifically performing weight bearing exercises is important because of the “impact” on your skeletal system every time you touch the ground. Don’t let the word impact scare you, it doesn’t mean you should start an aggressive jumping aerobics or plyometrics class. Walking, for example, is a “low” impact activity, or if you recall “low impact aerobics classes” from the 80’s – those count! Though the bike and the elliptical are a form of weight bearing exercises there is less impact on your joints. Both of these machines don’t place as much force through your skeleton compared to activities where your foot comes in contact with the ground. It is important to keep in mind that any impact that you are making on your joints with proper spinal position will help maintain healthy bones!

Examples:
Aerobic activities like walking, jogging, soccer, volleyball, basketball and racquet sports.

Will weight lifting help osteoporosis?

With weight lifting or strength training, the bones and muscles work by pushing and pulling a load. These type of exercises are beneficial as they help increase muscle mass and bone strength, and helps to increase bone density by creating stress on your bones which signals the hormones (thyroid and parathyroid) to take more calcium in your bones, which in turn causes an increase in bone density.

Osteoporosis only happens to older people, right?

Ohhh, sneaky question – what do you mean by “older people”? The term “secondary osteoporosis” mentioned above, affects both adults and children, which is to say that their osteoporosis results from a different disorder, or even as a result of therapy for other issues. But the thing to consider is that osteoporosis can affect adults in their 40s and early 50s. While you can be aware of any predisposition factors that may put you at higher risk, osteoporosis is not something that affects all people, equally. This 74 year old body builder, Ernestine reports that she didn’t step foot in a gym until she was 56 years old and feels better now then she ever did.

I don’t want to “shrink” or get a rounded back – what about posture training?

I’m so glad you asked! This type of exercise is particularly beneficial for individuals suffering from back osteoporosis and overall prevention of spinal fractures, and it is also important if you are at risk, as a preventative measure! Posture training can help prevent kyphosis (a forward curvature in the spine) or development of a Dowagers hump by strengthening your back, opening the chest (lengthening the anterior line), improve general comfort and improve balance.

I’m worried about myself or my parents falling and breaking a hip – will improving balance help with osteoporosis?

While balance training directly won’t improve an osteoporotic condition, improving your balance can help reduce the risk of falling and fractures. This kind of training is very applicable to everyday life as we never know when we are going to have an unexpected movement that will cause us to lose balance. However, some caution needs to take place with this type of training because balancing exercises do increase the chance of a fall. Therefore it is crucial that the trainer is observing and that safety precautions are in place. Another example of balance training is Tai chi.

Is Yoga good for osteoporosis?

The benefits gained from stretching (whether you do it in yoga, pilates, or on your own), maintaining or improving flexibility and range of motion is great! Having an appropriate range of motion helps improve posture, which reduces chances of developing kyphosis (as discussed above), improves breathing and facilitates balance training. The greater the flexibility one has, all activities, such as playing with your nieces, nephews, grandkids, gardening and all sports such as golf, skiing, running, hiking and tennis become easier and enhance performance. Now we’re not talking about doing the splits or being able to put your ankles around the back of your head, when I say “greater” I am referencing the fact that with age, many of us begin to lose flexibility due to inactivity or habits we’ve developed. There are “normal ranges of motion” around specific joints that are important to maintain for overall health.

Well there you have it folks! Regardless of whether you have osteoporosis or not you should still be living an active and healthy lifestyle. Exercise with caution, eat a healthy diet and take into account the preventative steps I have outlined here, to ensure you are maintaining strong bones and a strong body!

Some informative videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRSy_XGSGDI

The post Holy! Osteoporosis what? first appeared on Le Physique | Vancouver Personal Training.