We hope that all Savers who celebrated Thanksgiving had a warm and wonderful holiday!
The weekend after Thanksgiving marks a time of change for many people. As the holidays are “officially” underway, it’s important to not interrupt your exercise routine amidst all the hustle and bustle.
So to help you stay motivated to continue exercising for your bones and overall health, we bring you a fun and dynamic move that works the hip joints and core.
The Femoral Head Builder And Core Toner is a low-impact exercise that also tones your legs and glutes. And it can also help to keep away unwanted pounds during the holiday season.
Why:
The hip joint consists of a ball-and-socket where the ball is the femoral head that fits inside the acetabulum. Unfortunately, hip fractures are certainly a great concern and the frequency of hip fractures is increasing worldwide at a steady rate.1 In fact, they continue to be a significant source of disability and mortality, even though the latter has been steadily declining lately in the United States.2
There is another reason why awareness of these painful fractures should be heightened among the osteoporosis community: the most commonly prescribed osteoporosis drugs, bisphosphonates (Fosamax, Reclast, Boniva, etc.), actually increase the risk of atypical femoral fractures. So for those who have been diagnosed with osteoporosis or osteopenia and have undergone bisphosphonate therapy, the risk is greater.
Previously, it was unclear as to how bisphosphonates – drugs intended to prevent fractures – could cause spontaneous fractures. But a University of Michigan study clearly showed that bisphosphonates interfere with normal bone repair and remodeling, causing microdamage inside bone. Bone that appears denser in scan results is damaged, and won’t stand up to the stress of a fall – or even normal usage.3
To learn more details about the study and how bisphosphonates weaken bones, I invite you to read the following article: Alert! Never-Published Study Uncovers How And Why Bisphosphonates Cause Atypical Femur Fractures.
This weekend’s exercise is a low-impact effective move for building strength in the hip joints. Additionally, as its name denotes, the Femoral Head Builder And Core Toner tones up and strengthens the core muscles. A strong core has more to do with avoiding hip fractures than you may realize, and here’s why:
Research points to the fact that falling is just as culpable (if not more so) as low bone density is when it comes to hip fractures. And one of the keys to improving balance and preventing falls is a strong core.
So this weekend’s move addresses hip fracture prevention from more than one angle. And as I mentioned before, it’s fun!
How:
- Step back with one leg – let’s say the right leg for clarity – and bring your hands up to chest level. Bend your elbows and lay one hand on top of the other, palms facing down.
- Your left knee should be bent and your right leg extended behind you.
- Bring your right knee forward and up toward your hands, straightening your left knee as you do.
- Step back again with your right leg, bend your left knee again, and place your right foot on the ground.
- Repeat this motion of bringing your right knee up to your hands for 10 to 12 reps. Then switch legs and repeat another set of 10 to 12. (Of course, fewer or more reps are fine according to your fitness and comfort level.)
These previous Weekend Challenges make good follow-ups to this weekend’s move:
Exercising to build and strengthen your bones is important all year round, but as the holidays quickly approach it can seem quite hectic. Once you have a steady routine in place, you’ll find it much easier to continue your workout on schedule.
Take Exercising For Your Bones to the Next Level!
Learn the 52 exercise moves that jumpstart bone-building – all backed by the latest in epigenetics research.
So if you haven’t yet, get started now to ensure your bones will stay rejuvenated and fracture-resistant while you enjoy the holiday season.
Have a great weekend!
References:
1 Cummings S.R., Melton L.J. “Epidemiology and outcomes of osteoporotic fractures.” Lancet. 2002 May 18;359(9319):1761-7. Web: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12049882
2 Carlos H. Orces. “Hip Fracture-Related Mortality among Older Adults in the United States: Analysis of the CDC WONDER Multiple Cause of Death Data, 1999-2013.” Epidemiology Research International. Volume 2016 (2016), Article ID 8970259, 5 pages. Web: https://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/8970259
3 Davis, M.S., et al. “Visualization of bisphosphonate binding to bone microcracks and surrounding osteocyte lacunae using near-infrared optical imaging.” University of Michigan. 2013. https://www.ors.org/Transactions/59/007/0042.html
I would love to have a hard copy, much too hard to look at my phone to do these exercises. Plus I would also like to have a hard copy of the cook book, in the picture showing a couple cooking together, they had an actual book.
I can attest that regular targeted exercise WORKS!! I worked with a trainer over the last 3 years for 3 mornings a week for 1/2 hour especially targeting the lower body and my recent bone density test showed that what was high osteopenia in my hips has now reverted back to normal. So, even if you cannot work with a trainer, being on a regular schedule of as little as 30 minutes 3 times a week can show excellent results. You just have to do it!!
That’s fantastic, Diane! Thanks for that inspiring note.
Thank you for suggesting this exercise for the femor.
You’re welcome, Shula. 🙂
I too would benefit from video exercise maybe in 1/2 hour segments .
Please consider making a video exercise routine, or several “classes” emphasizing various strengthening sequences, just as a real class would do. These I would gratefully purchase, and my sister in law also! Your diagrams are nice, but tedious to sequence one week with another.
Thanks for the feedback, Marcia! Stay tuned. 🙂