Strong Muscles = Strong Bones

Yesterday I was reading a Question and Answer column in the newspaper and the topic was on building bone density.   The suggestion was when to do things that require many directions of movement in order to hit upon all parts of the bone.  This made a lot of sense to me.  In order to explain the theory behind building stronger bones,  I always simplify it by saying “as your muscle moves, it tugs on the bone it’s attached to causing it to get stronger, too, hence bigger muscles means stronger bones.  An easy to understand example is, by working on the biceps and triceps, you are impacting the elbow and the shoulder bones.    What the doctor was suggestion in his answer to yesterday’s question, was you need to move in a variety of ways to make sure all aspects of the bone are impacted.  His suggestion was, since walking is a weight bearing exercise, you have to walk forward, backward and sideways to get an efficient bone “workout.”  In aerobics, we “travel” forward and back and side to side as well as up and down, all in an effort to make the workout and OVERALL workout.  When running, I do some backwards and some sideways (grapevines) to work my muscles more efficiently, avoiding overuse of some parts of the legs, and under-use of others.

This reminds me, once again, that in order to be truly healthy, we must give thought to what we do and attempt to create symmetry and balance on all levels…in fitness and in all aspects of our life.  Wishing you a Sunday that helps provide balance to the rest of your week.