FERNWOOD FITNESS - PULSE eMagazine - Issue#11 - Flipbook - Page 20
A Two-Pronged
Approach to Prevent
Fractures with Exercise
Low trauma fractures
are rarely due to low
bone mass alone. Over
90% of hip fractures are
caused by falls, which also
contribute to fractures
in the arms, pelvis, and
spine. Therefore, any
exercise program aimed
at preven琀椀ng low trauma
fractures must focus on
two goals:
1. Building bone mass
2. Preven琀椀ng falls
What Type of Exercise
Improves Bone?
Research shows that
bones increase in mass
when subjected to loads
signi昀椀cantly greater than
usual or applied very
rapidly. For bone health,
exercise must involve
weight-bearing ac琀椀vi琀椀es.
Strength training or
weightli昀琀ing with weights
heavier than those you
typically carry (like your
grocery bag) is the best
way to build and maintain
bone health. However, this
must be done consistently
and over the long term to
be e昀昀ec琀椀ve.
Non-weight-bearing
exercises such as swimming
and cycling, despite their
bene昀椀ts for muscles and the
cardiovascular system, don’t
typically improve bone mass.
Heavy resistance and impact
loading are necessary to
s琀椀mulate bone growth.
Ironically, the very types
of forces that build bone—
heavy, rapid loads—can
also cause low trauma
fractures in individuals
with fragile bones. Thus,
such exercises should be
done under the supervision
of a professional, like
an Accredited Exercise
Physiologist, with
proper technique and
gradual progression.
A good example is the
evidence-based Onero™
program, developed
from the LIFTMOR and
LIFTMOR-M trials, which
tested high-intensity
resistance and impact
training (HiRIT) in older
women and men with low
to very low bone mass.
HiRIT combines heavy
li昀琀ing and rapid weightbearing impact exercises.
Both trials demonstrated
that HiRIT not only
improved bone mass and
strength but also enhanced
muscle func琀椀on, thereby
reducing the risk of falls.
Importantly, the program
was safe, with no low
trauma fractures reported
due to close supervision.
