Osteoporosis and exercise

Give me 5 mins and I’ll give you some workout suggestions to avoid weak bones.

Approximately 10 mil Americans have osteoporosis, and another 34 million have low bone mass, (osteopenia).

A disease with no symptoms, osteoporosis affects about 20 percent of men and 80 % of women.

While the bones gradually become weaker, they will probably break in a minor fall or, if left untreated, even from something as simple as a sneeze.

The commonest fracture sites include the hip, wrist and spine, although any bone in your body can be affected.

A diagnosis of osteopenia or osteoporosis tend to be scary, leading lots of people to quit exercise due to fear it'll cause fractures.

The simple truth is that people with low bone mass should make a point to exercise regularly.

Being active can not only assist in preventing osteoporosis, but slow bone loss once it has already begun.

Before beginning a fitness program, you have to talk to your doctor for guidelines, as level of bone loss determines exactly what workout is best.

Physicians can assess bone density and fracture risk by scanning the body by using a special kind of X-ray machine.

In conjunction with exercise, treatment may include dietary modifications and/or estrogen replacement therapy.

The more knowledge you get concerning this condition, the more you can do to help prevent its onset.

To create strength and bone mass, both weight-bearing and strength training exercises are ideal.

Weight-bearing exercises are those that require the bones to totally support your weight against gravity.

Examples are walking, jogging, stair climbing, dancing or using an elliptical machine.

Non-weight bearing exercises include biking, swimming, water aerobics and rowing.

Weight-bearing activities which include walking as little as 3 x weekly may benefit the bones.

Strength training places mechanical force (stress) on our bodies, which in turn increases bone mineral density.

Start by lifting light weights, moving in a slow and controlled manner, increasing resistance as you become stronger.

It's always strongly suggested that people with osteoporosis avoid the following kinds of activity:
* Step aerobics and high-impact activities such as running, jumping, tennis.
* Activities that involve rounding, bending and twisting on the spine.
* Moving the legs sideways or across the body, specially when performed against resistance.
* Rowing machines, trampolines.
* Any movement that involves pulling on the head and neck.

Exercise Tips:
* Even if you don't have osteoporosis, you must check with your medical provider just before you start an exercising program.
* Remember to warm-up before beginning and cool-down at the conclusion of every exercise session.
* To find the best benefit to your bone health, combine a number of different weight-bearing exercises.
* As you build strength, increase resistance, or weights, instead of repetitions.
* Be sure you drink a lot of water whenever exercising.
* Vary the types of exercise that you do each week.
* Combine weight bearing and resistance exercise with aerobic exercises to help you increase your overall health.
* Bring your friend along to assist you keep going or in addition to this, bring your family and encourage them to be healthy.
* Add more work out to your day; take the stairs vs. the elevator, park further way, and walk to your co-worker's office rather than emailing.

Put LIVE into action!
L - Load or weight-bearing exercises make a difference to your bones
I - Intensity builds stronger bones.
V - Vary the types of exercise as well as your routine to keep interested.
E - Enjoy your exercises. Make exercise fun so you will continue in the future!

Specific factors boost the likelihood of developing osteoporosis.

While a few of these risk factors are controllable, others are not.

Risk factors that can be controlled are: Sedentary lifestyle, excess intake of protein, sodium, caffeine and/or alcohol, smoking, calcium and Vitamin D deficiencies and taking certain medicines.

Body size (small frame), gender, family history and ethnicity are risk factors that can not be controlled.

Women can lose up to 20 percent of their bone mass in the five to seven years after menopause, driving them to more subject to osteoporosis.

It's never too early to start considering bone density.

About 85-90 percent of adult bone mass is acquired by age 18 in girls and 20 in boys.

Much of the reserve of healthy bone is built in youth and before age 30. Women may be more vunerable to an inadequate foundation process at this time than men.

Sufficient calcium intake, a comprehensive diet with lots of fruit and veggies and load-bearing exercise are the keys to solid bone growth when you’re young.

Then, with continued exercise into old age - which benefits men as well - bone density decline could be kept to a minimum.

Although women will be the main focus of data about osteoporosis and low bone density (osteopenia), some men are also seriously afflicted by this problem.

Even if you do all the right things while maturing and into adulthood, your inherited characteristics – your genes - can present you with bones that are susceptible to osteoporosis. This is even greater reason to maximize your lifestyle to prevent poor bone health.

Writer's note: The info provided on this document are designed to support, not substitute, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her doctor.

This is an article by Michelle Aultman who writes for the elliptical workout benefits blog, her personal hobby blog devoted to tips to prevent osteoporosis trough fitness at home.

Michelle Aultman has not professional intent and does not accept direct source of advertising coming from health or pharmaceutical companies, doctors or clinics and websites.

All content provided by her is based on her editorial view and it’s not driven by an advertising purpose.

Webmaster Note: This article is published here with the specific authorization by the author. Thanks Michelle!