Building Better Bones - Steven & Chris on CBC

Season 4 - Episode 110

sarah robichaud with chris

 

One in four women will develop osteoporosis in their lifetime, so it's essential to start building better bones early. Fitness expert Sarah Robichaud shared some tips on how to do this with Steven and Chris...

What is bone density?

Bone density refers to the actual mass of bone tissue one possesses. As you can see in this image, a healthy bone has very dense tissue while an osteoporotic bone is porous.

As we age, we begin to lose bone mass, which can result in fragile and brittle bones that are more likely to fracture. The most common parts of the skeleton affected by a loss of bone mass are the hips, wrists and spine.

We accumulate bone density through our childhood until about age 25. This density is typically maintained for about ten years. After age 35, we lose about .3 to .5 per cent of our bone density per year. This process speeds up significantly after menopause.

How can we help prevent osteoporosis and the loss of bone density?

There are a few key things we can do to build and maintain healthy bones:

  • Maintaining a healthy body weight is essential to good bone health. Being under weight can contribute heavily to reduced bone density.
  • Just like mom always said, getting enough calcium and vitamin D in your diet helps build better bones. As you age, a calcium supplement can be beneficial.
  • Cigarettes and excessive alcohol consumption can both negatively affect bone density.
  • Weight bearing and resistance exercises are essential to good bone density. Bone is a lot like muscle in the sense that it becomes stronger with exercise.

THE BETTER BONE WORKOUT


HIPS

Squats
Standing with feet hip-width apart lower your hips down as if you're about to sit in a chair. To make it more difficult add some detergent bottles in each hand to add extra weight.

One Legged Squats
Start by standing on the right leg in front of the chair. The left foot is in front of the right with the heel raised. Lower and lift the hips again to graze the chair. Repeat with the other leg. Remove the chair once you've achieved good balance.

Side Band Walks
Tie a bungee cord, or resistance band around your ankles. Keeping knees slightly bent take 10 steps to the side using control. Repeat the other direction.

SPINE

Half Back Extension
Begin by laying face down on your belly with your palms down beside your shoulders.
Engage your core and lift your upper body off the ground then lower.

Skydivers
Begin laying face down with your arms out in front. Lift the body up into one long line then open into a skydiving position then bring arms and legs together and lower.

WRISTS

Wrist Curls
Use water bottles or small weights to perform wrist curls.

Plank
Excellent for improving wrist strength.

Push Ups
On your knees lower your chest toward the floor and then push back to recover.