NGF & Suzanne Krupskas Exercises for Everyone

It's all about the Bones - To swim or not to swim

A terrific question comes up now and again at Gaucher meetings - does swimming and or pool exercises help enhance bone density? Is swimming or pool exercises good for osteoporosis?

The advantages of swimming and performing pool exercises is that the water is forgiving on the joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. If someone has pain or is recovering from surgery the pool is therapeutic and beneficial to help restore the muscles. Swimming is also a terrific way to enhance cardiovascular fitness. In addition, performing pool exercises can help to increase flexibililty, muscle strength, and endurance.

The caveat, unfortunantely swimming does not place any significant stress on the bones. Although, swimmers increase muscle mass and automatically there is a pull on the bones, it is not enough to stimulate an increase in bone density. Very similar with people performing pool exercises - there is some form of pull on the bones, but not enough to stimulate bone formation.

Bone is dynamic - it is forever remodeling. Normal, healthy bone is a balance of bone deposition and destruction. Two important words we often hear or read about are: osteoblast and osteoclast. The definition of osteoblast is: a cell that makes bone. The definition of osteoclast is: cells responsible for breaking down bone and responsible for bone resorption.

In normal bone, bone formation and bone resorption are in sync with each other resulting in normal remodeling of bone. However, in osteoporosis, the net rate of bone resorption exceeds the rate of bone formation, leading to a decrease in bone mass.

In order for bone to remodel it needs some form of stress. Some examples of the type of stress that is needed to increase bone density are: weight-lifting (either low or moderate weights) - heavy weight-lifting may cause stress fractures to occur due to the abnormal strain on the weakened bone, weight-bearing exercises (such as walking), rubber resistive bands, low and high impact type of activities. If the bones are weak, it is not recommended to do high impact type of exercises. Once again, stress fractures are more prone to occur. It is much safer to do the low impact.

In conclusion, if you are a swimmer or perform pool exercises, add land exercises to your regimen. That way you are guaranteeing a good healthy bone program. Remember to always consult with your physician prior to engaging in any exercise routine.

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