Lifting weights makes your bones – not just your muscles – stronger. But don’t just take my word for it – here’s the research to prove it:

In one study, people with lots of muscle and little fat had higher bone density than those who had little muscle and lots of fat, despite the fact that the latter group weighed more (Clinical Exercise Physiology, May 2000).

In the past, it was believed that the heavier you were, the stronger your bones, but this study shows that it’s not just how much you weigh, but what type of weight you’re carrying. Muscles are better predictors of bone mineral content or density than fat mass or weight according to researchers involved in the study.

The study suggests that changes in muscle mass result in changes in bone that are three times greater than similar changes in fat. That means that if you gain a pound of muscle, you’ll increase bone strength three times more than if you gain a pound of fat.

But the reverse is also true: if you lose a pound of muscle, you’ll decrease bone strength three times more than if you lose a pound of fat. By lifting weights, you can prevent some of the loss of muscle that often occurs as you get older or when you’re trying to lose weight. If weight training isn’t for you there are plenty of other ways to build your muscle strength, for example doing gentle exercises at home — press ups, squats and sit ups, spring cleaning the house or carrying your shopping home.

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 1st, 2007 at 11:36 am and is filed under Exercise, Osteoporosis. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.