Question
Hello
I was wondering if you have read any where how lifting weights makes our bones stronger? I can find answers on the internet how weightlifting makes muscles stronger, i.e. microscopic tears, but I find nothing mentioned on how lifting weights makes bones also stronger.

We had a 'health fair' at my job last week. One of the sponsors used a machine that measured your ankle to determine your bones (mass, thickness? not sure!). She said that I had the bone 'density' of a 25 year old man who did sports like in the olympics.

I am 45. Told her that I have been lifting weights since I was a child. We both were amazed.

I am just not sure how lifting makes bones stronger. If that is the right word for it.

Answer
Dear David,

Thank you for your submission.

There have been studies done and papers written on the subject of bone growth related to both weight lifting and weight-bearing activities, typically concluding that both have a positive correlation with increasing bone mass and/or density.  

Such findings are not surprising, considering that the skeletal system is living tissue and part of an overall living organism with an innate wisdom to cause life, adapt to an ever-changing environment or adapt the environmental factors for vital use, and a striving to survive and flourish.  With the same inteligent purpose that causes the growth of callouses on our palms in response to shovel handles to prevent a wearing away of the skin on our hands, the body can use specific cells to assemble calcium and other elements into new living bone tissue in response to physical stresses to prevent skeletal support failures.  

When we think of the body this way, it is common-sense-obvious that it would have this ability and give such attention to bones.  We need to keep in mind, however, though this is a simple concept and a very valid way of viewing the body, it does not allow us the freedom to forget the complexities of living systems and the extreme individuality of how each of us can express that life-potential.  That means it will be very difficult to predict exactly how any one person's skeleton will change in response to weight lifitng or weight-bearing.  It's easy for our society to accept that such changes can take place but often too humbling to accept that we cannot reliably control life better than life itself can.  Unfortunately, some of the research and resulting papers fall into the trap of trying to make life seem mechanistic.  

I wish you the best in gaining a better understanding of the body and enjoying your fullest potential.


Sincerely,
James W. Healey, DC