Have you ever heard the term stress fracture? Many people have heard of stress fractures and are baffled when they or a loved one develops one. They’ll say. Well, all I do is walk. We’re here to tell you that’s the problem.

Stress fractures can be prevented by strengthening your muscles. If you remove all of the soft tissue from the body, bones are actually quite fragile, especially the long bones. It’s our muscles and other soft tissues that protect our bones from bending under stress. When a force is applied to bones, the bones will vibrate. Too much vibration over time will cause the bones to develop small breaks AKA stress fractures.

The body was designed so that when forces are applied to our body the muscles, fascia and other soft tissues create tension and absorb some of the vibration to give greater strength to our bones. So the stronger our muscles, the less vibration our bones will receive and the greater protection we will have against fractures or broken bones.

Being strong is a protection mechanism for our body from stress fractures. Stress fracture are a risk for anyone at any age. This is why it is important to make sure that we make strength training a consistent part of our weekly routine. Going to the gym and spending time on the cardio machines is not enough. Daily running and walking is not enough. Running and walking without a regular strength routine can actually increase your risk for stress fractures. What are you doing on a regular basis to keep your muscles strong? Do your body a favor, being strong is a solution to stress fracture and many other problems. 

At SPC, our favorite was to get strong is with kettlebells.  Kettlebell training is fantastic for the versatility and variety that you can get with just one kettlebell. You can check out our Instagram page @strongperformancechiro and also subscribe to our YouTube channel for tips of how to utilize kettlebells.