By Kim McNeil B.Sc. CYI • July 13th, 2011

We often shy away from weight bearing exercise - that is, applying an opposing force that muscles must strain against - because, let’s face it, they’re difficult. Who wants to spend time in plank without some heavy encouragement? It pays to change our relationship with load bearing exercise however, as it can play an important role in maintaining the health of our bones.

How it works

Resistance can be supplied by your own body weight, free weights or elasticized bands. No matter what type of resistance used, increasing the amount of load on your muscles makes them stronger. You build muscle by creating microtears in existing tissue. New tissue is synthesized from protein and amino acids to repair these tears which results in increased muscular size and strength.

Bones grow and strengthen in the same way. Because muscles are attached to underlying bone, weight bearing exercise can actually strengthen your bones. Working muscle pulls on bone resulting in them becoming denser and stronger. Wolff's Law states that bone in a healthy person will adjust to the loads it is placed under. Over time if stresses on a bone continue, the structure and shape of a bone will permanently adapt in proportion to the load placed on it. The change in bone density is obvious in many professional athletes, for example in tennis players who have stronger playing arms or martial artists who develop higher bone density in their striking areas.

The opposite is true too: live a sedentary lifestyle and over time your bones will bear the brunt of not being subjected to loading. Without weight-bearing training, bones lose minerals and weaken.

Benefits

• The risk of osteoporosis is lower for people who are active and especially those who do load bearing activities several times a week.

• Weight-bearing exercises help bone retain calcium. Higher calcium levels mean greater bone density and increased bone strength.

• Building muscular strength improves balance and coordination thus preventing falls and bone fractures.

• Specifically, a regular yoga practice develops concentration and body awareness in the practitioner which also help to prevent falls.

• Furthermore, yoga can work the entire body not simply the legs as in other weight bearing exercise like running. Standing yoga poses work the large bones of the hips and legs, back bends and forward bends work the spine, and inversions and arm balances strengthen the wrists and shoulders.

How to add load-bearing exercises to your practice

• Combine...

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Location:  Calgary, CA

Kim began taking yoga classes over 13 years ago in her hometown of Montreal, after her career as an amateur swimmer came to an end.  Now she stands on her head for a living.  The Founder of...