Weekend Challenge: High Impact Axial Loader

Vivian Goldschmidt, MA Exercise

Evidence-Based
5 min Read

This weekend’s exercise is fun, versatile, and very effective.

The High Impact Axial Loader is a great way to increase bone density in areas prone to fracture, thanks to osteogenic loading.

It’s very effective at strengthening the bones in your legs, arms and femoral neck. It also enhances coordination, gives you an excellent cardio workout, and more.

Let’s get started!

Why:

Exercise with high impact produces superior osteogenic loading. This refers to the stimulating effects of force on bone, a concept familiar to Savers.

Bone is living tissue, and it responds to stimulation by increasing mineral absorption and strengthening. The more you use your skeleton, the more it responds by becoming stronger.

In fact, research clearly demonstrates that dynamic osteogenic loading – that is, rapid, high-impact moves – affects the rate at which bone formation occurs. The harder and faster you exercise, in other words, the more bone you build in a shorter amount of time.

The effects of osteogenic loading on bone health are so beneficial, that loading exercise is widely recommended by leading scientists as a drug-free way to reverse osteoporosis.

Here’s a perfect example on the positive results achieved with osteogenic loading along the body’s vertical axis (from the top of your head to the bottom of your pelvis), as concluded in a study:

“Our study demonstrated that 12 months of regular impact exercise favored bone formation, and increased BMD in weight-bearing bones, especially at the hip, and led to geometric adaptations by increasing periosteal circumference of the femur.”1 (emphasis added)

The Benefits Of Osteogenic Loading Don’t Stop There

Researchers went on to note that impact exercise had a beneficial effect on:

“…bone metabolism, physical performance, and cardiorespiratory risk factors by increasing maximal oxygen uptake, dynamic leg strength, and decreasing serum basal parathormone levels, low-density lipoproteins, and waist circumference.”1

This means that overall physical performance improved, along with cardiovascular and respiratory factors due to increased oxygen intake. (Taking in oxygen also alkalizes the body.)

In addition, the study points out decreased levels of PTH, or parathyroid hormone. PTH increases the amount of calcium that is pulled from bones and released into the bloodstream, so decreased levels mean calcium is staying in your bones, where it can increase density in response to axial loading.

And the study participants also reduced their waist size.

As you can see, there is much more to osteogenic loading via impact exercise than stronger, younger bones.

When you practice the High Impact Axial Loader, you’ll reap all these benefits, plus you’ll strengthen your arms, improve your coordination and overall cardiovascular performance. Yet it’s such a simple exercise!

How:

You’ll need a couple of weights that you’re comfortable with – 1 or 2 pound weights are a good place to start. Or you can also use cans of food.

Because this involves running in place, you’ll want to wear good shoes as well.

  1. Hold the weights in each hand, palms up.
  2. Raise the weights up and down at the elbow (arm curls) while running in place.
  3. Keep your arms in the same general position, palms up and out.
  4. Raise your feet as if jogging while simultaneously performing the arm curls.
  5. Continue for 15 seconds, rest for a few seconds, and repeat eight times or as many times as you comfortably can. You can increase the length of time and number of repetitions as you get more adept at this exercise.

Tips:

  • Don’t worry about lifting the weights fast – focus more on lifting them deliberately and in rhythm to your jogging.
  • If you know it’s safe for you, you can vary this exercise by running harder and faster, and by using heavier weights. The higher you lift your knees and the faster you run, the higher the impact.

More Research Supports Additional Benefits Of Osteogenic Loading

A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine analyzed stepping movements to demonstrate the benefits of impact exercise, similar to running in place, as in today’s exercise. Specifically, “the movements performed most often were marching, knee hop, side leg, L step, and over the top.”2

Researchers went on to recommend “a frequency of two or three sessions per week of step exercise.”2

You’ll find many moves like the ones mentioned above in the Densercise Epidensity Training System, which is set up to be practiced three days a week, as recommended in the study. To give a few examples, the Step Up on page 13, the Hopscotch Jump on page 26, and the Dance Hop on page 39 fit the same criteria.

They all involve axial loading and optimal bone-building motions, so you know you’re reaping all the scientifically-backed benefits of osteogenic loading.

Enjoy the weekend!

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References

1 Jamsa, Timo; Ahola, Riikka; and Korpelainen, Raija. “Measurement of Osteogenic Exercise – How to Interpret Accelerometric Data?” Fontiers in Physiology. October 18, 2011. Doi: 10.3389/fphys.2011.00073. Web. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3198512/

2 Santos-Rocha, R.A.; Oliveira, C.S.; Veloso, A.P. “Osteogenic index of step exercise depending on choreographic movements, session duration, and stepping rate.” British Journal of Sports Medicine. October 2006. Doi: 10.1136/bjsm2006.029413. Web. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2465063/