Rucking, the straightforward yet powerful exercise of walking with a weighted backpack, combines the benefits of bone density health and strength training. The added weight provides a resistance that engages various muscle groups, promoting strength and muscle development throughout the body. This not only enhances overall physical fitness but also contributes to improved metabolism and...
In our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy clinics we commonly receive questions on the benefits of exercise on bone density. High intensity resistance training and impact training have been shown to improve indices of bone strength in postmenopausal women with low bone mineral density (Watson et al. 2018). High intensity resistance training and...
Running remains one of the most popular outdoor activities in Boulder County. Each day in our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy offices we help runners return to full training and competition. Research has shown up to 90% of runners reports missing training or competition due to injury. Although most of the running injuries...
The effects of pregnancy on bone health in premenopausal women can lead to changes in bone mineral density (BMD). During early pregnancy, there is an increase in bone remodeling, which can result in a decline in BMD. The magnitude of BMD loss during pregnancy varies among studies and skeletal locations, ranging from less than 1%...
Strength or resistance training targeting the major muscle groups of the body is recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine for all adults a minimum of 2 days per week. Loss of muscle and bone mass over time can have significant functional and health consequences in the transition to older adulthood. Because of the...
Women’s hormones and cycles are very sensitive and very complex to understand. Many high intensity or endurance athletes (but not all) will experience irregular or total loss of menstruation which can bring with it consequences to bone density, injury risk, and compromised fertility. Regarding athletic performance through a women’s cycle, a systematic review published in...
An estimated 40% of women and 13% of men over 50 years old will have at least one fracture due to osteoporosis (decreased bone density) in their lifetime. Areas that are most susceptible to fracture include the spine and hip bones. The incidence of fractures increases with age and particularly after menopause, as the protective...
By Berrin Boyce Overall, the benefits of exercise, including high-intensity exercise are well researched and widely known. However, risks of excessive exercise are important to be aware of as they can contribute to negative health consequences. A condition known as the female athlete triad can occur when an imbalance in energy expenditure is present over...
Bone density loss is most commonly associated with diagnoses including osteopenia and osteoporosis where affected individuals fall below the mean bone density levels of their peers. In our previous blog we described recent research indicating these individuals can improve their bone density through progressive weight training and jump training. This study challenged previously held incorrect...
Despite the fact that bones respond favorably to high impact exercise and high-intensity resistance training these types of exercise are typically avoided in women with osteoporosis due to concerns that heavy loading of ‘fragile’ bone may result in increased risk of fracture. The LIFTMOR trial (Watson et al 2017, J Bone Mineral Research) calls into...
