How leg strength impacts bone density

Strong legs are appealing for lots of reasons; running fast, hiking big hills, functional squats—the list goes on and on. But now we’re seeing leg strength is also an indicator of better hip bone density:¹

• Study participants completed a one-rep max leg press to assess strength: the heaviest weight they could push with their legs just once.
• Bone density was measured at the hip and lower spine using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (a DEXA scan).
• They found that leg-press strength was strongly linked to hip bone density, and that connection held up even after accounting for age, sex, and body fat.

When you consider that breaking a hip over the age of 65 significantly increases the risk of death within the following year, it feels worthwhile to think about strength and bone density earlier in life.

+More bone support

• Why we should sit less & move more for stronger bones
• Study says eat this much protein for bone health
• Everything you need to know about vitamin D & fractures

If you do one thing… think about your exhale

New research suggests the way we breathe may actually change what's happening inside our brains, influencing how we process information and even how we make decisions.³

• Participants completed a series of decision-making tasks twice: once while breathing normally and once while intentionally making their exhales longer than their inhales.
• A longer exhale shifted participants into a more parasympathetic, or "rest and digest," state and increased HRV.

By reacting with conscious breath first, we can create conditions for clearer thinking, greater emotional flexibility, and more intentional decision-making.

+Deep breaths

• Your mouth impacts every breath, here’s how
• Improve your memory with better nighttime breathing
• Pelvic floor problems? It’s time to try this

That’s it for the long game—we hope you’re geared up for the week ahead of you.