Studies have found that training at higher intensities can be more beneficial for bone health and gaining strength than working at lower intensities (Watson et al. 2017; Refalo et al. 2021). But what about the difference between being supervised by a trained professional, like a physical therapist, and unsupervised with self-selected intensities? A study by Cotter et al. (2017) compared supervised resistance training and self-selected resistance training. The study found that individuals in the study who were in the self-selected intensity ground tended to underdose resistance training compared to supervised individuals. While all exercise is generally better than no exercise, this becomes important when trying to create specific outcomes. Specifically, in the management of osteoporosis, high intensity resistance training is thought to be the best type of exercise to prevent and sometimes regain bone density (Watson et al. 2017; Koshy et al. 2022). Therefore, it can be vital to work with an expert to learn how to exercise at the right intensity to create the intended response.
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REFERENCES
Watson SL, Weeks BK, Weis LJ, Harding AT, Horan SA, Beck BR. High-intensity resistance and impact training improves bone mineral density and physical function in postmenopausal women with osteopenia and osteoporosis: the liftmor randomized controlled trial. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. 2017;33(2):211-220
Refalo MC, Hamilton DL, Paval DR, Gallagher IJ, Feros SA, Fyfe JJ. Influence of resistance training load on measures of skeletal muscle hypertrophy and improvements in maximal strength and neuromuscular task performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Sports Sciences. 2021;39(15):1723-1745
Cotter JA, Garver MJ, Dinyer TK, Fairman CM, Focht BC. Ratings of perceived exertion during acute resistance exercise performed at imposed and self-selected loads in recreationally trained women. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2017;31(8): 2313-2318
Koshy FS, George K, Poudel P, Chalasani R, Goonathilake MR, Waqar S, George S, Jean-Baptiste W, Ali AY, Inyang B, Mohammed L. Exercise prescription and the minimum dose for bone remodeling needed to prevent osteoporosis in postmenopausal women: a systematic review. Cureus. 2022;14(6):e25993. DOI 10.7759/cureus.25993