How much weight lifting is required to build bone?

Weight lifting gave me self confidence. After 3 months I could deadlift my body weight - 170 pounds and 78 year old. The real gift was learning how to lift with my legs. He joined a sports team and I haven't found a replacement. I'm considered high risk.

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I have been lifting free weights at home for 30 yrs and now at 73 have osteoporosis. It has been very discouraging.
With all my research, I have concluded that medium impact exercise daily and diet high in calcium and protein with supplements will be my focus. I refuse to take any medications unless I get worse. I am hopeful.

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@cahabagirl How much weight can support bone density? Have you asked your personal trainer that question? My personal trainer also has a master’s degree in exercise physiology and there is another trainer at my gym that has an advanced degree. Both of these trainers are very helpful in letting me know which lifts are most effective.

I’ve been lifting weights for over thirty years. My mother had osteoporosis and so I have the genetic predisposition. I think if you carefully target the axial skeleton (vertebral bones in your spine) that this will help to support your bone density. When I started doing this my bone density did increase over time. At least according to a DEXA bone density scan.

Again, you can ask your personal trainer which lifts are appropriate for you.

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@cahabagirl How much weight can support bone density? Have you asked your personal trainer that question? My personal trainer also has a master’s degree in exercise physiology and there is another trainer at my gym that has an advanced degree. Both of these trainers are very helpful in letting me know which lifts are most effective.

I’ve been lifting weights for over thirty years. My mother had osteoporosis and so I have the genetic predisposition. I think if you carefully target the axial skeleton (vertebral bones in your spine) that this will help to support your bone density. When I started doing this my bone density did increase over time. At least according to a DEXA bone density scan.

Again, you can ask your personal trainer which lifts are appropriate for you.

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I, too, want to avoid meds. I found this article to be interesting and will incorporate some of the suggestions into my routine. I do have a vibration platform that I have started using for 10-20 minutes 5 days per week.
Article is from an Orthopedic practice in Texas.
“ Make an Impact on Your Bone Density
If you want to build healthy bones, the best thing you can do is make an impact with the ground. In other words, try running, jumping, or walking. These activities create forces that move through your bones and help with the bone remodeling process that adds density.
Jump: If you really want to go high-impact, try jumping. One study showed that premenopausal women who performed 10 to 20 high-impact jumps, with 30 seconds of rest in between each jump, twice a day for four months significantly increased bone density in their hip bones compared to a group of women who did not jump.[1] (As an added bonus, high-impact jumping torches calories.)

Walk: If jumping isn’t your style, don’t underestimate the value of a brisk walk. The Nurses’ Health Study included data from more than 60,000 postmenopausal women. The women who walked briskly at least four times per week had a lower risk of hip fractures compared to their counterparts who either didn’t walk or walked less often or more slowly.[2]

Mixed-Up Movement: Mixed-up movement is exactly what it sounds like—movement that mixes it up by taking you in different directions. Whether walking, jogging, or hopping, throw in what is referred to as odd impacts—meaning that you move sideways, backwards, or any direction other than straight ahead. Tennis players know all about mixed-up movement. Research has shown that such odd-impact activity can help build stronger bones and keep hip and spine fragility at bay.[3]

What About Weight Lifting?
It turns out, weight lifting alone is not enough to build bone density—but don’t discount the value of pumping iron. Strength training is an important part of any well-rounded fitness regimen. Weight training plus other high-impact exercise is an excellent recipe for strong bones.

One study showed that people participating in high-impact sports—such as volleyball, hurdling, squash, soccer, and speed skating—had higher bone density than those competing in weightlifting.[4]Weight lifting wasn’t a total wash, though—the weight lifters had stronger bones than individuals who participated in no-impact sports, such as swimming, and bicycling.
Another study showed that women who included jumping and weight lifting in their fitness program improved the density of their spines by about 2 percent compared to a control group.[5]Interestingly, the women who included both upper and lower body strength training showed the most benefit—lower body strength training alone was not enough.

Shake it Up
If you’ve written off whole-body vibration platforms as a silly fad, you may want to reconsider. One study has shown that postmenopausal women who used the vibration platform for five minutes three times a week had 2 percent more spinal bone density compared to a group of control women who did not vibrate—and who actually lost about a half a percent of bone density in their spines.[6]
These machines have gone mainstream, cropping up in gyms all over the country. While they are no substitute for good old-fashioned exercise, they could play a role in building bone density

Building Bone Health Throughout Life
Bone density declines after age 30, so it’s important to build bone density early on in order to prevent osteoporosis later in life.
It’s never too late to build bone health. Weight-bearing exercise is beneficial at every stage of life: childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. The University of Michigan researchers found that as little as 15-20 minutes of weight-bearing exercise, three days a week was sufficient for building bone density.”

Jump to this post

I, too, want to avoid meds. I found this article to be interesting and will incorporate some of the suggestions into my routine. I do have a vibration platform that I have started using for 10-20 minutes 5 days per week.
Article is from an Orthopedic practice in Texas.
“ Make an Impact on Your Bone Density
If you want to build healthy bones, the best thing you can do is make an impact with the ground. In other words, try running, jumping, or walking. These activities create forces that move through your bones and help with the bone remodeling process that adds density.
Jump: If you really want to go high-impact, try jumping. One study showed that premenopausal women who performed 10 to 20 high-impact jumps, with 30 seconds of rest in between each jump, twice a day for four months significantly increased bone density in their hip bones compared to a group of women who did not jump.[1] (As an added bonus, high-impact jumping torches calories.)

Walk: If jumping isn’t your style, don’t underestimate the value of a brisk walk. The Nurses’ Health Study included data from more than 60,000 postmenopausal women. The women who walked briskly at least four times per week had a lower risk of hip fractures compared to their counterparts who either didn’t walk or walked less often or more slowly.[2]

Mixed-Up Movement: Mixed-up movement is exactly what it sounds like—movement that mixes it up by taking you in different directions. Whether walking, jogging, or hopping, throw in what is referred to as odd impacts—meaning that you move sideways, backwards, or any direction other than straight ahead. Tennis players know all about mixed-up movement. Research has shown that such odd-impact activity can help build stronger bones and keep hip and spine fragility at bay.[3]

What About Weight Lifting?
It turns out, weight lifting alone is not enough to build bone density—but don’t discount the value of pumping iron. Strength training is an important part of any well-rounded fitness regimen. Weight training plus other high-impact exercise is an excellent recipe for strong bones.

One study showed that people participating in high-impact sports—such as volleyball, hurdling, squash, soccer, and speed skating—had higher bone density than those competing in weightlifting.[4]Weight lifting wasn’t a total wash, though—the weight lifters had stronger bones than individuals who participated in no-impact sports, such as swimming, and bicycling.
Another study showed that women who included jumping and weight lifting in their fitness program improved the density of their spines by about 2 percent compared to a control group.[5]Interestingly, the women who included both upper and lower body strength training showed the most benefit—lower body strength training alone was not enough.

Shake it Up
If you’ve written off whole-body vibration platforms as a silly fad, you may want to reconsider. One study has shown that postmenopausal women who used the vibration platform for five minutes three times a week had 2 percent more spinal bone density compared to a group of control women who did not vibrate—and who actually lost about a half a percent of bone density in their spines.[6]
These machines have gone mainstream, cropping up in gyms all over the country. While they are no substitute for good old-fashioned exercise, they could play a role in building bone density

Building Bone Health Throughout Life
Bone density declines after age 30, so it’s important to build bone density early on in order to prevent osteoporosis later in life.
It’s never too late to build bone health. Weight-bearing exercise is beneficial at every stage of life: childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. The University of Michigan researchers found that as little as 15-20 minutes of weight-bearing exercise, three days a week was sufficient for building bone density.”

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You are so lucky to have found educated personal trainers to assist you. Are you doing machine weights at the gym or free weights. Can you list some of the lifts that are most effective for osteoporosis. Thank you!

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