How to improve bone strength and health

It’s not just about muscle – strength training and bone health

Body scans over the years provided me with a lot of insight into what was happening with my bone health, and some small changes have made a huge difference.

Bone density is at its peak between 17-25 years of age. Nutrition, activity, and

proactive screening for bone health can help you to reduce the risk of osteoporosis, sarcopenia (loss of muscle) and disability later in life, especially for women.

Mechanical stress builds strength

Bone is a living, dynamic tissue that is biologically and mechanically intertwined with your muscles. When muscles contract, they pull on bones, generating mechanical stress that signals bones to get stronger. Without that stress, both muscles and bones weaken.

You’re already ahead of the game as a member at Feel Good, because resistance

training is one of the most effective tools for strengthening your bones. When you’re lifting heavy weights, you’re loading the skeleton with progressively greater

resistance, and this is good for building both bone density and muscle mass.

Intensity matters

Our bodies need challenge to change. Gradually increasing resistance or intensity

will stimulate your bones and muscles to adapt. Walking and gentle movement isn’t enough for this, the focus needs to be on progressive overload and training for Power.

High impact activity also stimulates your bones to become stronger – so you can think of this next time you’re doing box jumps!

Screening and prevention

Scans can give you valuable insight into your bone health and any changes over

time. Our Evolt scanner at the gym will give you info on bone mineral content, which is an indicator related to bone and skeletal health.

It’s well worth tracking bone mineral content over the years so you can identify any

trends and jump in early to make tweaks to maximise your bone health, like strength training, calcium and vitamin D optimisation, and hormone therapy when needed.

For your lifelong skeletal strength, focus on:

- Resistance training

- Consuming adequate protein, and

- Good nutrition including calcium-rich foods

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Let’s keep those muscles and bones healthy for the long term!

Coach May

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