Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Dem Bones

Here is the link to the LAT article referenced this morning. http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-cycling16-2009feb16,0,1785648.story. Dr. Coggan is a frequent contributor to Slowtwich.com and knows his stuff. The author, however, does a great disservice by failing to mention that the best all-time form of bone strengthening is from walking. So please don't go out and join a soccer team and give up cycling just to keep from osteoporosis (as they suggest in the link). Park you car as far from the entrance to the Safeway as you can and walk. Then do 50 meter jogging intervals with your kids at the park, beach, ball field, circus, zoo, playground or grandma's backyard. That's all you need. That and more spinning. As EJ would surely agree, journalism (even the type still found in daily newspapers) that only gives one side of the story isn't journalism at all, it's propaganda. And this article was not only bad reporting, it was sloppy and dangerous as well. Soccer? I guess one doesn't have to worry about bone density when one has titanium knees. Sheesh.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Right. I read today that our government as well as outsiders are ramping up a cold war with Russia so that our military economy can make a come back. Plus, what good is a dense bone when it hits the pavement at 10 MPH.

KML5 said...

Ouch

Anonymous said...

FWIW, my bone density numbers are above average. Never had a broken bone. Knock on wood. My daily routine includes 1/2 cup of non-fat cottage cheese mixed with 1/3 cup of non-fat yogurt and a vitamin D supplement of 1000 IU. When I am not out on biztrips, I aim for twice a week sessions on the weight machines with only enough resistance to stress the joints without injury (read moderate weights). I'm an old fart now so I have to pay attention to stuff like that.