Exercise can help you
build strong bones and slow bone loss. Osteoporosis can be limited
with Exercise and will benefit your bones no matter when you start,
but you'll gain the most benefits if you start exercising regularly
when you're young and continue to exercise throughout your life.
Combine strength-training exercises with weight-bearing exercises.
Strength training helps strengthen muscles and bones in your arms
and upper spine, and weight-bearing Osteoporosis Exercise —
such as walking, jogging, running, stair climbing, skipping rope,
skiing and impact-producing sports — mainly affect the bones
in your legs, hips and lower spine. Swimming, cycling and machines
such as elliptical trainers can provide a good cardiovascular workout,
but because they're low impact, they're not as helpful for improving
bone health as weight-bearing exercises. Be sure to talk to your
doctor before starting any exercise program.
Inactivity makes your
bones lose strength and become thinner. Osteoporosis Exercise deprived
is like a wrecking ball, trying to break down your bones and cause
you to fall. Like a home, your body can be one of your greatest
investments. You should work hard to avoid and repair structural
damage to your home—your body, your bones.
In addition to any medications
or hormone replacements that may be used to treat your osteoporosis,
weight-bearing exercise is essential in the prevention and treatment
of osteoporosis. Proper regular exercise can improve our strength
and balance which helps prevent falls that can lead to fractures.
Exercise also makes our bones strong.
The U.S. Surgeon General
recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise each day.
A physical therapist
will custom-design a safe and effective exercise program to meet
your needs. Physical Therapists can also give you tips on reducing
your risk of falls and spinal fractures through proper use of body
mechanics and making your home safe.
Our bones are living, growing tissue that respond to weight bearing
exercise by growing denser & stronger, similar to the way our
muscles react to exercise. Younger active people produce more new
bone tissue than they loose, therefore bone density increases. Generally
we achieve maximum bone density & strength (peak bone mass)
around the age of 30. Bone density gradually begins to decline as
we age and become less active. For women, bone loss is usually most
rapid during the first few years after menopause. We now know that
exercise, diet & minor lifestyle changes can slow and even reverse
the bone loss that usually occurs as we age.
Make weight bearing
exercise a part of your daily routine. Bones react to load by gradually
growing stronger & denser.
