As I've mentioned elsewhere, based on my misadventures last year, I've belatedly elevated injury/illness avoidance to a par with diet and exercise as components toward keeping me in the game.

Some experiences recently have caused me to specifically focus on bone density. The fall from a third rung in May with a heavy Window A/C onto my back with the unit clutched to my chest. A couple of scratches only. Continued with the installation. A joke about getting it down faster.

My Yoga instructor. Getting run over by a car. One or two classes a day. Bones were an abnormally brighter white on the X Ray. Nothing broke. The meat swelled up to double and bruises but everything gone in weeks, as opposed to months had any of the bones broken.

So increasing bone density can be specifically targeted as a training objective. For purposes of staying in the game longer.

apologies. Computer froze. Didn't finish my thought.

Over and over, we see people in climbing and other sports sidelined by broken bones. For lengthy periods. Have to wonder how many of them ever regain 100% of their former abilities. Since climbing uses everything, upper and lower body, would seem I'd need exercises both upper and lower.

Of course we've all seen instances where someone walks away from what looks like a horrible fall. Simply put, they were doing something right and nothing broke. The injury not taken.

So I'm running and lifting weights. This is working pretty well. But I don't know what percentage of bone density I'm increasing.

What I'm wondering, is how to benchmark Bone Density.

John Duffield wrote:apologies. Computer froze. Didn't finish my thought.

Over and over, we see people in climbing and other sports sidelined by broken bones. For lengthy periods. Have to wonder how many of them ever regain 100% of their former abilities. Since climbing uses everything, upper and lower body, would seem I'd need exercises both upper and lower.

Of course we've all seen instances where someone walks away from what looks like a horrible fall. Simply put, they were doing something right and nothing broke. The injury not taken.

So I'm running and lifting weights. This is working pretty well. But I don't know what percentage of bone density I'm increasing.

What I'm wondering, is how to benchmark Bone Density.

I don't know whether there is a direct and close correlation between bone density and the ability not to brake bones easily. Of course, below a certain threshold density, bones tend to break more easily (osteoporosis). But I don't think "denser" means necessarily "stronger" and "less brittle" once you are above that threshold.

John Duffield wrote:What I'm wondering, is how to benchmark Bone Density.

Do you mean, other than having bone density measurement in a medical setting? Your internist can arrange that. You lie on a bed of detectors, and a soft X-ray source scans down over you -- perhaps 30 seconds to a minute. The radiation dose is very small (<<1% chest X-ray).

I think the biggest thing is to get plenty of calcium. When I was a kid my family drank milk at meals; I had cousins that routinely had Iced tea at dinner. There were five of us and none had any broken bones except for one brother who broke a finger hitting another kid in the head (wrong place to hit someone). My cousins who didn't get as much milk all had at least one broken arm or collar bone.

I'm told that you need to get adequate vitamin D in order to absorb the calcium. If you are eating the right things, I don't see any need for a man to get bone density checked (unless he's 80 or so). Of course, I'm not a doctor (nor do I play one on TV).

Yes, I do take Calcium daily. And Vit D. E as well. Plus a Centrum. I run 5 miles a day, which fitness pros tell me should increase the density of my lower extremities.

Now this is interesting. A whole bunch of ads have popped up about Bone Density on my Monitor. Of course, they're about preventing Osteo P.

That's not yet my concern. I want to be like the Yoga Instructor in my OP. Take a major shot and just walk away from it. The kind of shots that happen all the time in climbing.

At my Keene Valley B&B, it's almost like a cliche among ice climbers. So and so took a fall, broke something, got metal in his/her legs and is selling their gear. That's what I'd like to avoid.

John Duffield wrote:Yes, I do take Calcium daily. And Vit D. E as well. Plus a Centrum. I run 5 miles a day, which fitness pros tell me should increase the density of my lower extremities.

Now this is interesting. A whole bunch of ads have popped up about Bone Density on my Monitor. Of course, they're about preventing Osteo P.

That's not yet my concern. I want to be like the Yoga Instructor in my OP. Take a major shot and just walk away from it. The kind of shots that happen all the time in climbing.

At my Keene Valley B&B, it's almost like a cliche among ice climbers. So and so took a fall, broke something, got metal in his/her legs and is selling their gear. That's what I'd like to avoid.

Easy to avoid! Don't climb!!

Recent studies have stated that certain types of activities promote bone density--impact type such as running, hiking, weight lifting--and others do not--such as cycling. In fact, if I can recall correctly, the study indicated that cyclist can suffer from a lack of bone density and suggested that they should compensate with things like lifting weights.

Well sure enough. Thank you Mr. Google.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/01/is-bicycling-bad-for-your-bones/

and they don't know why. Though they consider mineral loss to be directly responsible, they don't know what causes that. I do a lot of cycling. But nothing like what the subjects of this study do. But as above, I'm told running improves it in the lower extremities. So I guess it would have to do with the impact.

Lift heavy sh*t.

Don't bother getting a Dexa scan. It will tell you how easily X-rays pass through your body, but not much else. You're already doing what you can to theoretically reduce your fracture risk, I'm afraid you'll just have to be satisfied with that. Now, if you just want an impressive number you can start eating flouride pills. Makes for a great Dexa, but no significant change in your fracture risk... oh wait I'm extrapolating from data for a different demographic/table-top experiments/basic physiology. Just ignore what I'm saying, as you should all such advice. But don't get a Dexa scan (or a screening mammogram). Do you have any idea how many bottles of good scotch you could buy with that money? Much healthier expenditure.

knoback wrote:Don't bother getting a Dexa scan. It will tell you how easily X-rays pass through your body, but not much else. You're already doing what you can to theoretically reduce your fracture risk, I'm afraid you'll just have to be satisfied with that. Now, if you just want an impressive number you can start eating flouride pills. Makes for a great Dexa, but no significant change in your fracture risk... oh wait I'm extrapolating from data for a different demographic/table-top experiments/basic physiology. Just ignore what I'm saying, as you should all such advice. But don't get a Dexa scan (or a screening mammogram). Do you have any idea how many bottles of good scotch you could buy with that money? Much healthier expenditure.

Don't do the flouride pills either, or fluoride pills for that matter. Too much fluoride can increase your risk of heart problems.

I'm not going to add any more pills for a while. I only started taking the mega load of Vit D recently per advice from some Vegan friends. Want to get accustomed to the results first.

It was awesome. I noticed nearly right away, a difference with my eyes. I didn't need sunglasses as often, could get away without reading glasses more and see better at night. Funny thing was, I hadn't even anticipated this.

I'm doing 1500% of daily value. I know people who do like 10,000%. Seems, if you use sunscreen, you'll need more.

Cracked a rib from coughing last year in the Himalaya. I doubt if anything will prevent that. The weights and running will only affect load bearing bones. I'm going up slowly on the weights, otherwise I hear from the humerous I broke on a ski jump in the 90s.

Buz Groshong wrote:
Don't do the flouride pills either, or fluoride pills for that matter. Too much fluoride can increase your risk of heart problems.

Plus, that's how the Commies get you.