Exercise For Osteoporosis
Regular exercise is a good way to strengthen bones and help prevent osteoporosis. Even for those with osteoporosis, certain exercise groups can help keep your level of bone mass.
Exercising doesn’t just build muscle and endurance. It also helps to build and maintain bone mass and density. Bone density means how much bone you have and how thick it is.
There are three types of exercise needed to build healthy bones for those with osteoporosis: weight-bearing, resistance and flexibility.
Weight-bearing just means using your legs and feet to support your whole weight, so it includes walking but not swimming or cycling (these are good for endurance but not specifically for osteoporosis).
With resistance exercises, you use another object to work with: this strengthens your muscles and builds your bones up, reducing the likelihood of them fracturing. Resistance exercises can include resistance tubing, free weights (or weight machines) and water aerobics. Water aerobics means any kind of exercise done in water that makes your muscles push against it.
Flexibility exercises are important for osteoporosis because they can help prevent injuries.
With all of these exercises, if you have never been very active, talk to your doctor or
physical therapist about an exercise program and which would be best for you. Don’t try high impact exercises, like jogging or jumping rope if you already have osteoporosis or osteopenia as they may cause fractures or injure your spine. It is better to try low impact exercises, such as walking or gardening.
It’s also important to be wary of exercise that includes bending and twisting at the waist, such as sit-ups, some particular yoga poses and rowing machines, as this can lead to fractures.
