Osteoporosis can strike at any age and affects both men and women.
Osteoporosis is often known as “the silent thief” because bone loss occurs without symptoms. It is sometimes confused with osteoarthritis because the names are similar. Osteoporosis is a bone disorder, with a loss of the normal strength and quality of the bone, as well as a decrease in bone mass. Osteoarthritis is a disease of the joints and surrounding tissue, often described as wear and tear of a previously normal, smooth joint. *
Bone is living tissue that is constantly being broken down and replaced. Osteoporosis occurs when the creation of new bone doesn’t keep up with the removal of old bone. The bones become weak and brittle making them more fragile and at risk of a fracture. (broken bones) Even a minor fall can have a significant impact –leading to a broken hip, spine, wrist or shoulder (the most common areas at risk)
Exercise is part of a healthy bone strategy
We all know and understand how important exercise is for heart health. But it can’t be emphasized enough how important regular weight-bearing exercise is for bone health, too. Weight bearing exercise is when you use your body weight in activities such as walking, running and weight lifting. The result is that weight bearing exercises help to develop more bone mass. Brisk walking, dancing, tennis, and yoga have all been shown to help your bones become denser. It will also improve your balance and strength, which could help to prevent falls. But what about biking? It’s good for your heart and lungs but is not considered weight-bearing, when you are seated.
Look at it this way.
It is recommended that you walk between three to five miles a week to help build or maintain healthy bones. If we assume it takes between fifteen or twenty minutes to walk a mile, then spending between seventy-five to one hundred minutes a week (out of ten thousand and eighty minutes in a week) is minuscule compared to the enormous benefits you will reap.
Resistance means you’re working against the weight of another object. Resistance exercise includes free weights or weight machines, water exercises that make your muscles work harder and resistance tubes— incorporated into your regular exercise regime two to three times a week will help build or maintain bone mass.
Stretching and Flexibility
Having flexible joints is another important aspect of help to keep osteoporosis at bay. Regular stretching, yoga, and Pilates are some of the ways you can ensure your joints stay lubricated and flexible.
There are of course other aspects to maintaining good bone health such as eating a healthy diet and ensuring you get enough calcium and vitamin D, but that’s a subject for another blog.
The important thing to keep in mind is that staying active, exercising and stretching are very effective strategies to help prevent osteoporosis. And even if you have osteoporosis you can still make improvements by exercising.
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* Source Osteoporosis Canada. Speaking of Bones. 2006.