Endzone, a fitness and wellness consultancy firm recently conducted a survey revealing the susceptibility of osteoporosis among Indian women.
It has been observed that women in India are prone to osteoporosis especially between the age of 40-60 years. 20 percent of Indian women over 40 suffer from osteoporosis or brittle bones, while another 65-70 per cent suffer from osteopenia or weak bones.
Therefore, the remedy to this problem is that women should undertake some type of weight training sessions result in stronger bones and increased metabolism rate. Also it has been seen that especially during menopause, the levels decrease in the body and the risk of osteoporosis increases. Woman could lose up to 20% of their bone mass in five to seven years after menopause, making them more susceptible to osteoporosis.
Another benefit of strength training as compared to cardiovascular exercises (such as running or cycling) is that you can do different exercises for your entire body whereas cardio are basically for the lower body.
Research has found that weight training can increase spinal bone mineral density (and enhance bone modeling) by 13 percent in six months. This, coupled with an adequate amount of dietary calcium, can be a women's best defense against osteoporosis.