Impact of resistive exercise versus aerobic exercise on bone mineral density in post-menopausal women

Aim: Osteoporosis is a major public health problem and the most common skeletal disorder. It has been described as a silent disease affecting millions worldwide. This study was aimed to determine the impact of resistive exercise versus aerobic exercises on bone mineral density in post-menopausal women. Material and Method: Forty post-menopausal women participated in this study, ranging in age from 50 to 60 years. They were divided into two groups equal in number, Group (A) who performed combined upper and lower body resistive exercise for 30 minutes, three times per week, for 12 weeks in addition to their usual daily calcium intake and group (B) who performed aerobic exercise for 30 minutes, three times per week, for 12 weeks in addition to their usual daily calcium intake. All subjects in both groups (A and B) were assessed pre- and post-treatment through measuring bone mineral density (BMD) of hip and lumbar regions by DEXA. Results: The results of the present study revealed that there was a highly statistically significant increase in BMD of hip and lumbar regions after treatment, with p<0.005 in both groups (A&B). However, there was a non-statistically significant difference between groups after treatment in BMD of hip and lumbar regions, p>0.05. Discussion: It can be concluded that there is no preference of resistive exercise or aerobic exercise in their effect on improving bone mineral density in post-menopausal women.