What if I told you there was one thing you could start today to reduce the risk of fractures due to osteoporosis?
You’re probably aware of how important regular exercise is for your heart, and to help you live a long and active life. But, one of the underrated benefits of working out has to do with your bone density.
Exercise is crucial for building and maintaining strong bones because it stimulates bone-building cells and promotes bone density. Exercise helps your body build more bone, replace old bone with new bone, make existing bone denser, and prevent bone loss.
Want to maintain your bone health, avoid/reverse osteoporosis and reduce your risk of falling and breaking a bone? Let’s face it, falling and breaking a hip later in life is often called, “the beginning of the end.” Who wants that?
You’ve got to exercise!
But the big question is: What kind of exercise actually makes a difference?
HIGH IMPACT EXERCISE:
High-impact exercises, such as weight-bearing and resistance training, can help maximize your bone strength, improve your body strength and balance, reducing the risk of fall injuries. In fact, research shows that high impact exercise has a significant impact on bone density in postmenopausal women.
Weight-bearing exercises force your body to work against gravity. Here are some examples:
High-impact weight-bearing exercises: They include skipping, jumping robes, aerobics, Zumba, hiking, jogging, climbing stairs, playing tennis and dancing.
Low-impact weight-bearing exercises with high impact benefits: If you’re just getting started with an exercise routine, or if you have body pain, this is a great place for you to focus. These include low-stress aerobics (less jumping, more upper body movements), yoga, pilates, brisk walking, and using elliptical training machines or stair-step machines to work out.
Resistance training: This is lifting weights against gravity. These also help strengthen bones and muscles due to the load. You can do resistance training using dumbbells, kettlebells, or weights. Go for more repetition sets rather than heavier weights for stronger bones and muscles.
Flexibility and balance training are crucial to reduce the risk of falls and fractures, to improve overall mobility, and to enhance quality of life.
FLEXIBILITY AND BALANCE:
Flexibility training: Examples include stretching, pilates and yoga. Stretching helps keep muscles limber and reduces muscle tension, which can improve posture and stability.
Balance training: There are specific balance exercise routines you can do, such as one-legged stands, heel to-toe walking, as well as yoga, More challenging options include using stability balls, balance boards, or even resistance bands to create unstable surfaces or add resistance. Balance training significantly reduces the likelihood of falls, which are a major concern for those with osteoporosis.
WHAT A WEEK OF BONE-HEALTH EXERCISES MIGHT LOOK LIKE:
Rather than giving you a fitness “prescription” it’s important to understand what you like and what you’ll likely stick with. If you’re just beginning or just getting back to exercise, start low and slow – even 10 minutes of exercise each day – and build on it over time.
Ultimately you’re looking for a baseline of 3 days a week of moderate intensity training (see High Impact Exercise above) with 2 days of walking/cycling/swimming and daily spurts of stretching.
You might want to consider working with a personal trainer (who understands osteoporosis) or a physical therapist to create an appropriate routine for you. Or try our BoneStrong Yoga classes virtually through Blum Center.
Need some inspiration? Reach out to a friend who will join you!
Ready to really make a change to the health of your bones? Make an appointment with Melissa Rapoport, MA, CFMC in our BoneStrong 6-month program. Walk tall knowing you are reducing your likelihood of fractures and living a vibrant, active life well into your “golden” years.
– Click here if you are ready to sign up for our 6-month BoneStrong Program
– If you are new to Blum Center and would like more information click here.