For this weekend’s challenge, you’ll want to put on your dancing shoes!
Actually, a good pair of athletic shoes will do just fine. But the hopping activity of this exercise feels like you’re dancing, and if you add music, it’s even more fun!
The High-Impact Femoral Neck and Leg Builder is a high-impact exercise, so it’s scientifically proven to build bone strength in your hips and legs. It also gets your heart pumping and your muscles working, and it increases endurance and improves coordination.
It’s the perfect move to get ready for spring activities, which are just around the corner in the Northern Hemisphere. So pick your favorite upbeat music and get ready for this weekend’s challenge!
Why:
As mentioned above, this exercise targets your hips and legs, but it also specifically strengthens the femoral neck, which is the rather narrow bridge of bone that connects the head of the femur (thigh bone) to the femoral head (the “ball”) that fits into the hip socket. This strip of bone is a small but important part of the hip joint that holds particular relevance to those who’ve been diagnosed with osteoporosis.
You see, the femoral neck is uniquely vulnerable to weakening as a result of taking the most commonly prescribed osteoporosis drugs. Known as atypical femoral fractures, these painful breaks can occur any time the femoral neck is compromised, which is a debilitating (not to mention ironic) side effect of bisphosphonate drugs.
Long covered-up by Big Pharma and Mainstream Medicine, breakthrough research has proven this connection once and for all by showing exactly how bisphosphonates weaken bone on a cellular level.
These dangerous drugs, which include Fosamax (alendronate), Boniva (ibandronate) – to mention a few – interfere with bone remodeling, a fact that Savers are well aware of. By interfering directly and specifically with bone remodeling, bone micro damage does not get repaired, resulting in bones that are more susceptible to fracture. Thus, the inevitable, day-to-day wear and tear on bones keeps accumulating, weakening bones over time. This weakening affects all bones, but it manifests with particular prominence in the femoral neck.
For further reading on this eye-opening study, you’ll want to read this post: Alert: Never Published Study Uncovers How And Why Bisphosphonates Cause Atypical Fractures.
Weight-bearing exercises that target the hip joints, like this weekend’s, help the femoral neck to recover and strengthen, as normal bone remodeling resumes after treatment with bisphosphonates. High-impact exercises are especially helpful, as the next two studies illustrate.
More Research Proves The Bone-Building Aspects Of High-Impact Exercise
It’s exciting to learn that exercise can preserve the function of your legs and hips as you age. For many years, the opposite was thought to be the case – low-impact exercises such as swimming and stationary biking were considered best for bones, and those with low bone density were encouraged to “preserve” their bones and prevent deterioration by minimizing impact.
While low-impact forms of exercise have their own merits and benefits (and if you can’t do high-impact exercise, it’s far better to choose low-impact moves over no exercise at all), research points clearly to specific benefits of high-impact motions.
In the first study, researchers at the University of Bristol measured the pelvic bone density of teenaged girls between 13 and 19, and those whose daily activities involved the most high-impact exercise had the strongest, densest hip bones.1
A second study on older women between the ages of 25 and 50 showed that hopping was highly effective at increasing pelvic bone density. One group of women hopped at least 10 times twice per day with 30 seconds between each hop, and the other group hopped 20 times twice per day, also with 30-second intervals between hops.
Increases in participants’ hip bone density was observed just eight weeks into the study, with the 20-hop group exhibiting “significantly greater gains in hip BMD.” After 16 weeks, both groups showed similar improvement in bone mineral density of the hips.2
So if you’re able to jump and hop vigorously (with your doctor’s approval, of course), then you’re on to one of the most fun ways to build your bones. Now let’s take a look at how to do the High-Impact Femoral Neck And Leg Builder.
How:
It’s a good idea to warm up before doing this exercise. Try marching or jogging in place or doing jumping jacks for a few minutes to get your muscles warmed up. Or do this exercise at the end of your regular workout.
- Hold your arms straight out at your sides.
- Kick your right leg out and hop twice on your left foot.
- Bring the right leg back and kick your left leg out, hopping twice on your right foot.
- Try to perform the kick and hop movements in one continuous motion without stopping to switch feet.
- Repeat the motion until you’ve done eight kicks and hops on each foot.
- Now do another eight kicks and hops on each foot, but this time, hop only once. So the motion will be much more rapid.
If you’re just getting the hang of this or you’re tired out after Step 5, then feel free to skip Step 6 for now and work up to it. You may also like to add these two other challenges:
The Dynamic Hip And Core Builder
High Impact Axial Loader
More Than Just The Femoral Neck
Remember, in addition to the femoral neck, all of the bones and joints in the legs get a workout in this weekend’s move. The dance-like motions also promote coordination and balance, so you’ll be much less likely to sustain a fall that could result in a broken bone.
You’ll find plenty of weight-bearing exercises in the Densercise™ Epidensity Training System. The 50+ exercises in Densercise™ are not the same as the Weekend Challenges, but they complement each other nicely. It’s always good to add variety!
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.
I hope you enjoyed this weekend’s challenge, and as always, feel free to comment about your experience below!
Enjoy the weekend!
References:
1 Tobias, Jonathan, et al. “Physical Activity and Bone: May the Force be with You.” Frontiers in Endocrinology. 5. 20. (2014). Web. March 16, 2017. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3939444/
2 Tucker, L.A., et al. “Effect of two jumping programs on hip bone mineral density in premenopausal women: a randomized controlled trial.” Am J Health Promot. 29. 3. (2015): 158-64. Web. March 16, 2017. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24460005
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How To Avoid And Eliminate Neck PainComments on this article are closed.
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That’s wonderful, Nancy. I found this exercise to be a real mood-lifter as well!
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Vivian,
I have seen mixed messages and want to confirm whether it’s possible for Bone Density to increase in a person 67 years of age with severe Osteoporosis or does the program just inhibit further loss of bone and just maintain its current level? Is the recommended dosage of Save Our Bones appropriate for all levels of Osteoporosis or should there be considerations for individuals of different ages, body types and levels of Osteoporosis?-
Hi Jean,
Please check your inbox for a message from Customer Support. 🙂
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Hi Vivian,
My question is about the body shaker machines which is a very popular machine to use here (AUS). I’ve read that it should be really good for us Savers, but are they?
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After I was told about the thinning in my hips I started jogging, got a mini-trampoline but then crystals in my ear moved when I bent down to retrieve something and I got vertigo. It’s been 4 months now and I’m so much better but concerned about doing more jarring type exercise and inversions in yoga, too concerned it may loosen and dislodge the crystals. I would appreciate any advice. Thank you.
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The subject today was timely for me because I have worried about the high-impact exercises. I believe they are beneficial for osteoporosis but my problem is that my bladder has progressed from the “bottom of my pelvic floor” to the point that it is bulging out of my body! The doctor says that gravity is my worst enemy. I am not incontinent and I have no pain so there is no plan for aggressive surgery at this time but I am concerned about the osteoporosis which is in my spine.
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Thank you for encouraging all of us to take care of ourselves…
Question…. I like to ride my bike at a pretty good cliip… 3 miles around our mobil home park in the afternoons… Does riding a bike count as bone/hip exercise
I am 72. -
I have read in many articles that if you have osteoporosis in the spine as well as the hip you should avoid up and down exercises, running, jumping, hopping etc. because the movement can cause stress fractures in the spine, which makes sense. I asked a couple doctors and they didn’t know if it was safe, and one was an osteoporosis specialist! So I stopped doing all of those and have tried to come up with other exercises for the hips. Right now I do a couple I hope are working, standing with feet heel to toe in a line and do a squat moving your arms out to the front of you for balance as you lower yourself, I do 15 and then switch legs, really feel this in the thigh. Then the other one is standing on one leg for 1 min and then switching to the other. I also do some stretches that help keep my hips flexible. Since each of us is different I wish I knew whether the jumping or hopping would be safe for me, Vivian do you know any way to find out if your own doctor can’t tell you. Love your exercises suggestions each week.
Diane-
Hi Diane,
Interestingly, research indicated that high-impact moves like jumping, dancing, and hopping actually increase bone mineral density in the hips and spine, with very low incidence of injury. Here is a link to a comprehensive study on this topic:
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Thank you for that link, perhaps the earlier thought has been proven wrong as so many things can be with further research. I will try adding some hopping exercises back in to my routine such as this one in your article today. Without you we would never hear about the new research being done. I do get some information on the osteoporosis website Inspire where people chat about their experiences with supplements and drugs for osteoporosis and I have recommended your program to some looking for help that have had a new diagnosis and are confused about what to do. Hopefully they checked your website out.
Diane
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I hike weekly and square dance but will definitely add the hopping routine. I don’t understand the instruction to wait 30 seconds between hops but the demo picture shows continual hopping.
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Hi Doris,
Sorry about the confusion! The 30-second pauses between hops were practiced by the participants in the study. For the actual exercise, you don’t pause. 🙂
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I am 77 yrs of age now, and never had this problem either…until this year…
at the moment I feel the urge to go….I had better run, because I have only a few seconds to get there….Because of the extreme cold weather…I just don’t want to get out and walk and this is probably my problem…not much exercise now….-
Hopefully you can do some of the Weekend Challenges indoors, Edna! And if you are concerned about incontinence, by all means check with your doctor.
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The Bellicon is very good they say. For hopping and osteoporosis
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Hi Maartje,
The Bellicon (or mini trampoline) is a weight-bearing exercise (rebounding) that can help develop balance, strength, endurance, and flexibility. But unlike hopping on the floor or ground, rebounding is low-impact, so it will provide different benefits from high-impact moves.
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Can we address the elephant in the room? Why do many women avoid high impact activities after pregnancy? Postpartum Pelvic floor dysfunction is a widely unaddressed issue that can linger for years, if not for the rest of a woman’s life. It is a difficult, embarrassing topic to discuss and most doctors do not even consider addressing it. I suffered from it for 13 years after my first child until I found a fantastic physical therapist would specialized in women’s health. At that point, my career had greatly suffered because I was a dancer teacher and could no longer demonstrate certain movements to my students without the fear of leaking. I had given up on auditioning and dancing professionally. The only reason I became privy to the existence of PTs in women’s health is not because a MD referred me, but because I decided to make a career change and become a physical therapist myself. After a only a few month of strength training and neuromuscular reeducation with my PT I no longer avoid running, jumping, or other high impact activities.
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Thank you for addressing that issue, Janine, and for sharing how you overcame it. Weak pelvic floor muscles can occur after childbirth, but as your experience demonstrates, it can often be corrected with the right type of exercise.
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Thank you for the great excercise’s! I love the hopping one. I feel so happy ? after, plus I have more energy! I have needed help with my physical activity. I will tell my friends! Thank you,Nancy W