Why Bone-IQ?

1 in 3 women over age 50 will experience osteoporotic fractures

— International Osteoporosis Foundation

Bone mass declines by 0.5% per year after the age of 40 regardless of sex or ethnicity

— American College of Sports Medicine

Prevention Is Power

Start building strength now.

The Evidence: Strength Training

Title:  The LIFTMOR Trial

Type:  Randomized Controlled Trial

Who:  Postmenopausal Women Age 58 to 75

Size:  101 Participants

Time: 8 months 

Journal article titled 'High-Intensity Resistance and Impact Training Improves Bone Mineral Density and Physical Function in Postmenopausal Women With Osteopenia and Osteoporosis: The LIFTMOR Randomized Controlled Trial'. Authors, affiliations, abstract, keywords, and introduction are included. Published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.

High-Intensity Strength & Impact

Barbell with weights on gym floor, ready for lifting

Strength Program: 

  • 2 Sessions per Week 

  • Squat, Deadlift, Press, and Jumping 

  • Weight at 85% of 1 rep max

Resulted in average 2.9% increase in bone mineral density at lumbar spine

VS.

Low-Intensity Training

Person practicing yoga in downward dog pose on a turquoise mat with a water bottle nearby.

Control Program: 

  • 5 Sessions per Week 

  • Low-Intensity, Bodyweight Training

  • Balance Training

Resulted in no change or slight decline in bone mineral density

Key Takeaway:

Strength Training is Safe & Effective for Increasing Bone Mineral Density (BMD)

Title:  Effects of high-impact exercise on bone mineral density (Vainionpää et al)

Type:  Randomized Controlled Trial

Who:  Postmenopausal Women Aged 55-66

Size:  98 Participants 

Time: 1.5 years

Scientific article titled 'Effects of high-impact exercise on bone mineral density: a randomized controlled trial in premenopausal women,' authored by Aki Vainionpää, Raija Korpelainen, Juhani Leppäluoto, Timo Jämsä, published in Osteoporosis Int, focusing on bone mineral density and exercise.

The Evidence: Jumping

Test Group

Jumping Program: 

  • 30-40 Jumps per Session

  • 3 Sessions Per Week

Averaged 1.6% increase in bone density at femoral neck

Illustration of a person performing a jump exercise with an upward arrow indicating movement. Jumping is for impact training.

VS.

Control Group

Control Program: 

  • No Programmed Intervention

  • Continued usual activities

Illustration of a woman meditating in a seated lotus position, eyes closed, wearing a pink tank top and green pants. Represents control group of study where users were not prescribed any jump or impact training.

Resulted in no change in bone density at femoral neck

Key Takeaway:

Impact-Based Movement Boosts Bone Mineral Density in Hips

The Evidence: Back Extensor Training

Title:  Strong back muscles reduce the incidence of vertebral fractures (Sinaki et al.)

Type:  Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial

Who:  Postmenopausal Women Average Age 62 years

Size:  50 Participants 

Academic article titled 'Stronger Back Muscles Reduce the Incidence of Vertebral Fractures: A Prospective 10 Year Follow-up of Postmenopausal Women' by multiple authors, published in Bone journal, June 2002, Vol. 30, No. 6. The article discusses a study on the benefits of back-strengthening exercises for postmenopausal women. It includes sections like Introduction, Materials and Methods, and features tables and data on muscle strength and vertebral fractures.

Back Extensor Strengthening

Program: 2-year strength plan with exercises targeting erector spinae and deep postural muscles

Two people performing back extensor strength movement called a Thoracic Extension. Dumbbell in foreground of image.

In 10-year results only 6 fractures occurred

VS.

Control Group

Program:

No Intervention

Two people performing back extensor strength movement called a Thoracic Extension. Dumbbell in foreground of image. X represents the control group that was not prescribed back extensor strengthening for posture.

In 10-Year results 14 fractures occurred

Key Takeaway:

Stronger Spinal Muscles & Better Posture Reduces Lumbar Fracture Risk

The Evidence: Balance Training

Title:  Exercise to prevent falls in older adults (Sherrington et al.)

Type:  Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Who:  Community-dwelling older adults, average age 76 years

Size:  Over 26,000 participants across 54 trials

Journal article titled 'Exercise to prevent falls in older adults: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis' by various authors, published in British Journal of Sports Medicine in 2017. The study examines the effectiveness of exercise in reducing fall rates in older adults.

Balance Training

Most Effective Programs: 

  • Progressively challenges balance (i.e. narrow stance, reduced hand support, weight shifts)

  • Ongoing intervention as part of daily routine

Person practicing yoga in tree pose on rocky coast overlooking the ocean under a cloudy sky. Pose represents balance training.

Fall rate reduced by up to 30% in those who performed structured balance-focused exercise. 

Key Takeaway:

While Not Bone-building, Balance Training Reduces Falls & Helps Protect Your Bones

References

  1. Watson SL et al. High-intensity resistance and impact training improves bone mineral density and physical function in postmenopausal women with osteopenia and osteoporosis: the LIFTMOR randomized controlled trial. J Bone Miner Res. 2015;30(2):340–349. https://doi.org/10.1002/jbmr.2359

  2. Howe TE et al. Exercise for improving balance in older people. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2011;(7):CD000333. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD000333.pub2

  3. Giangregorio LM et al. Exercise for improving outcomes after osteoporotic vertebral fracture. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013;(1):CD008618. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD008618.pub2

  4. Vainionpää A et al. Effects of high-impact exercise on bone mineral density: a randomized controlled trial in postmenopausal women. Osteoporos Int. 2005;16(2):191–197. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-004-1671-1

  5. Sinaki M et al. Stronger back muscles reduce the incidence of vertebral fractures: a prospective 10-year follow-up of postmenopausal women. Mayo Clin Proc. 2002;77(8):821–826. https://doi.org/10.4065/77.8.821

  6. Sherrington C et al. Exercise to prevent falls in older adults: an updated meta-analysis and best practice recommendations. BMJ. 2011;343:d2882. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.d2882