How strong are your bones? Bone density measures how strong your bones are and is correlated with osteoporosis. Bone density decreases for men and women as we age, but women are effected more due to hormone changes after menopause. More bone density is better because your risk of bone fractures increases as your bone density goes down. You don’t have to fall to be at risk either. As bone mineral density decreases, even small bumps and sudden movements that occur in daily life can cause fractures. The good news is bone density can be improved with exercise. Here are the 2 best exercises to increase bone density and prevent fractures.
Squats
Squats are a great way to build strength in the muscles and bones of your hips thighs and spine. Proper technique is important. Start by pushing your butt back as you lower down. Keep your weight over the center of your foot and your butt behind your feet. If your butt drifts over your feet, you won’t get the work at your hips and it will put more stress on your knees. Your knees should not collapse in either. As you can see in the video, your knees should stay lined up with the center of your foot. Start with 2 sets of 10 reps and hold for 5 seconds at the bottom. Do these every other day. Try to work up to 3 sets of 15 reps. You should feel this mainly in your butt and thighs.
Deadlift
Deadlifts are especially good at developing strength in the bones and muscles of your spine and hips. A couple key points:
- It’s really important to keep a slight arch in your low back throughout the movement. You should not bend forward at your back at all. You’ll see in the video the bend is happening at the hips and knees
- Start with the weight on a chair or gym bench instead of the floor. Even starting with no weight and just practicing the movement can be helpful.
- Don’t worry about lowering the weight all the way to the floor. Start just trying to get your hands to knee level. This will help you maintain good form
- Start with 3 sets of 10 to get used to performing the movement correctly. Don’t worry about trying to make the weight heavy when you first start.
It’s really important to start with minimal or no weight on both these exercises first to get used to doing them correctly. The bone density gains really occur with heavy loading. You do this by doing 2-3 easy sets at light weight to warm up. Then do 3 to 5 sets of each exercise for 5 reps on each set. How much weight is light and how much is heavy? Use this table to guide you based on how difficult each set feels:
The number of repetitions remaining means thats how many more repetitions you could have done at that weight. If you’re using the right weight, the easy sets should be a rating of 3 to 4. The heavy sets should be a rating of 7 to 8.
If this seems really overwhelming or you’ve tried it and something doesn’t feel right, we can help you! At Solutions Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine, we’re experts at squats and deadlifts and can help you use them to prevent and overcome bone loss.
Call our scheduling team at 703-299-3111, or click here and a member of our team will schedule you an evaluation with one of our expert physical therapists.
Working to keep you living your best life,
The Solutions Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine Team
