Some people will spend the first few weeks for the New Year setting outrageous expectations for themselves. Go to the gym 2 hours a day! Never eat any refined sugar ever again! Quit drinking coffee cold turkey! While these full-throttle, grandiose promises might seem motivating, at True 180 we know that real, lasting lifestyle changes take time and depend on balance and moderation. So as we embark on the “New Year, New You” journey we want to give you an empowering, well-rounded and meaningful perspective on health and fitness beyond just the scale, the size of your jeans or your appearance. We’ve previously touched on resistance training as a secret weapon for longevity, metabolism and mental health.
Let’s take a look at the incredible ways resistance training improves bone health. You only get one skeleton and attentiveness to bone and joint health now can help you move and live better for many years to come. From severe chronic pain to limited mobility to increased risk of injury, quality of life is very closely tied to bone health. The key to reaping the true health benefits from resistance training is a safe, well-designed program. And that’s where we come in. (Check out our amazing clients successes!)
Here are the 4 major bone health benefits of resistance training:
1. Kick Osteoarthritis to the curb. This type of arthritis involves the wearing down of tissue at the ends of bones. Often painful and debilitating you’ll be happy to hear that resistance training reduces joint pain as well as improves functional ability.
2. Keep Osteoporosis in check– Similarly resistance training is proven to increase bone mineral density. Brittle bones are obviously more likely to break so this benefit also means your risk of injury is greatly reduced. It’s worth noting high impact exercise is also extremely effective in increasing bone density.
3. Improve bone metabolism. There is also evidence to show that resistance training improves your bones at the cellular level. Older bone tissue is removed and replaced with more efficient new bone tissue ensuring bone strength.
4. Lock in trouble spots. Certain joints or bones are more disruptive should they become dysfunctional. The hips and low back certainly come to mind. Luckily the work you do at True180 will directly impact these sites. Vertebral bone density and parts of your pelvic girdle will become stronger and denser during every workout.
