Frontiers in Physiology, Dr. O’Sullivan says this may help scientists understand why, even though obesity and diabetes are often linked, some people with obesity do not develop diabetes. “It also strongly emphasizes the health benefits of exercise for children.” With rising rates of childhood obesity and teens who are overweight, it is important to understand the effects of these conditions on bone and joint health, says Professor Vickers, an obesity specialist and co-researcher. “Obesity is governed by many genes. This work highlights the utility of small animal models in teasing out gene-environment interactions in health and disease.” Professor Firth, who studies bone development and also contributed to this research, explains that childhood and adolescence are periods of rapid bone growth. “If you reach optimal bone mass early in life, you’re less likely to suffer from broken bones or other bone-related problems as an adult. Load-bearing from exercise and higher bodyweight is good for growing bones, but this and other evidence shows that if the extra weight comes from higher body fat mass, bone development may be subnormal,” he says. “Bone metabolism strongly influences energy metabolism in the body, and metabolism — what you do with energy from diet — is the central crux of why some children and adults become obese.” As a Certified Athletic Trainer and the founder of Fitness for Health, a state-of-the-art fitness facility located in Rockville, MD, that helps children, adults, senior citizens and professional athletes reach their full, physical potential, I am often asked how parents can encourage their children to be physically fit from the time they’re born. In my opinion, make physical activities and games FUN for the whole family! The key to successful participation is creativity and positive reinforcement as well as scheduling a regular time during the week as “family playtime” so children will learn to emulate their parents. Families need to work – and play – together to enhance physical fitness while building stronger relationships. With an integrated approach, parents, grandparents and children can create fun, recreational games that also increase self-esteem – and help families bond – while increasing kids’ physical activity. Is your family in need of fitness assistance? Fitness for Health can help your family create a healthy, active lifestyle while having fun. We offer customized exercise programs designed to fit your exact needs and help you reach your unique health goals. And, we offer family workouts and Open Gym playtimes (beginning again after Labor Day) so families can become active together. Are you an adult concerned about your bone health? Fitness for Health provides a revolutionary, 12-week Bone and Joint Health Program for adults and seniors that capitalizes on weight-bearing, fitness activities. This groundbreaking program helps to improve posture and increase bone density, strength and balance while counteracting the effects of osteoporosis, osteopenia and aging. The Bone and Joint Health Program elicits results faster and more effectively than traditional exercise (fitness for seniors) or pharmaceuticals through two state-of-the-art fitness technologies:
- bioDensity™ – Weight-bearing exercises are the key to stimulating bone growth, and the greater the weight applied, the better the results. The osteogenic loading that patients receive is multiples of bodyweight, and beyond what is typically seen in exercise. Research has shown, bone density gains that averaged 7% in the hip and 7.7% in the spine over one year using bioDensity (Jaquish, 2013). These results are multiples of what the current interventions can do for bone density.
- Power Plate™ – Power Plate is a whole body vibration platform that allows for reflexive engagement of the neuromuscular system at rapid and repeatable oscillation. This intervention has been clinically shown to increase balance and stability in both healthy and aging-frail populations.
Tags: bone and joint health, family fitness, obesity, childhood obesity, exercise, exercise benefits, fitness, family, family playtime, bone health