Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Date of Award

Spring 3-30-2015

Document Type

Honors Paper

Degree Name

Allied Health-BS

Department

Health & Sport Sciences

Advisor

Dr. Shelley Payne, DHS, PT, AT

First Committee Member

Dr. Shelley Payne, DHS, PT, AT

Second Committee Member

Dr. Kim Fischer, PhD

Third Committee Member

Dr. Joan Rocks, PhD, AT

Keywords

Bone density, Exercise, Osteoporosis

Subject Categories

Community Health and Preventive Medicine | Medicine and Health Sciences | Other Medicine and Health Sciences | Public Health Education and Promotion

Abstract

Exercise has been a proven key to maintaining overall good health. There are many benefits of exercise: improved blood flood and overall heart strength, stronger muscles, improved cardiovascular system and it actively works to prevent superfluous fat storage on the body (Bassuk, 2013). Among these benefits is also the improvement and strengthening of bones (Bassuk, 2013). Bone strength can also be referred to as bone density and is very important to a person’s overall health because it relates directly to skeletal strength, posture, factors that affect falling and consequentially the fracturing of bones (Mayo Clinic Health Letter, 2011). A higher bone density also helps prevent the onset of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a disease that occurs from a disproportioned bone remodeling process that can result in decreased bone density (Caple, 2014). Lowered bone density is an issue because that can lead to increased risk of fractures, chronic pain and physical disabilities (Caple, 2014). As mentioned earlier, exercise has been shown to reduce this risk by strengthening the body, as well as its’ bones. The aim of this research is to explore the effect low weight bearing exercise has on bone density. The data collected and analyzed will help to answer the question of whether or not a low weight bearing exercise regime will increase someone’s bone density.

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