Have u ever had a bone injury before – this could include a fracture, a stress injury, a heavy bruise, or a surgery. It is likely that these are still a source of complaint for you. Bones generally take 6 weeks to 3 months to heal but can take up to 1-2 years to fully mineralise (regain their original composition). This is one of the reasons why your specialist may say your hip or knee replacement will not be at optimal strength until 1-2 years post operation.
Bones also require stimulus to heal well; much like skin, your bones are always shedding and replacing new material daily. Exercise helps to accelerate this process and contributes to building thicker, denser bone. Exercise physiotherapists are experts in achieving improvements in bone health.
Heavy, short-duration exercises including weighted squats, overhead presses, push-ups, jumping, and hopping may help to improve your bone density. If you do suffer from osteopenia/osteoporosis or are recovering from a bone injury it would be worthwhile to see one of our exercise physiologists or physiotherapists.
Marathon runner tend to suffer from bone stress injuries as they are generally quite thin, have a low BMI, and have perform repetitive, continuous exercise through most months of the year. This means that the bones are often not getting enough time recover, or not enough heavy short-duration, intense stimulus to help build good quality bone and therefore bone stress injuries can occur. These injuries are commonly in the foot and ankle. It is also very useful to see one of our exercise physiologists if you are a long-distance runner to design a program that helps prevent injuries.
Lastly, looking at your Vitamin D and calcium levels is often important if you have a history of bony issues. Hormonal issues such as irregular periods, menopause, thyroid and genetics can also influence the strength of your bones.
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