An estimated ten million Americans have osteoporosis, and another 34 million have low bone mass, (osteopenia).
A disease without symptoms, osteoporosis affects about 20 percent of men and 80 % of women.
While the bones gradually become weaker, they will probably break due to a minor fall or, if left untreated, even from simple things like a sneeze.
The most typical fracture sites can be hip, wrist and spine, although any bone in the body can be affected.
A diagnosis of osteopenia or osteoporosis might be scary, leading most people to quit exercisse because of fear it will cause fractures.
The truth is that people with low bone mass should make a point to exercise regularly.
Being active can not just assist in preventing osteoporosis, but slow bone loss once it has already begun.
Before beginning a workout program, you have to talk with your physician for guidelines, as degree of bone loss determines what type of workout is best.
Physicians can assess bone density and fracture risk by scanning your body by using a special kind of X-ray machine.
In addition to exercise, treatment may include dietary modifications and/or estrogen replacement therapy.
The more knowledge you have relating to this condition, the more you can do to help prevent its onset.
To make strength and bone mass, both weight-bearing and resistance training work outs are ideal.
Weight-bearing exercises are those that require the bones to completely support your weight against gravity.
Examples are walking, jogging, stair climbing, dancing or using an elliptical exercise machine.
Non-weight bearing exercises include biking, swimming, water aerobics and rowing.
Weight-bearing activities like walking as little as 3 x a week will benefit the bones.
Strength training places mechanical force (stress) on our bodies, which increases bone density.
Start by lifting light weights, moving in a slow and controlled manner, increasing resistance as you become stronger.
It is important that folks with osteoporosis avoid the following types of activity:
* Step aerobics and high-impact activities including 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.
* Every movement that involves pulling on the head and neck.
Exercise Tips:
* Even if you don’t have osteoporosis, you should consult your health care provider prior to starting a training program.
* Make sure you warm-up before starting and cool-down at the end of each exercise session.
* To find the best profit to your bone health, combine several different weight-bearing exercises.
* As you build strength, increase resistance, or weights, rather than repetitions.
* Remember to drink a lot of water whenever exercising.
* Vary the types of exercise that you do every week.
* Combine weight bearing and resistance exercise with aerobic exercises to help you increase your general health.
* Bring your friend along to help you continue or in addition to this, bring your family and encourage them to be healthy.
* Add more physical activity in your day; take the stairs vs. the elevator, park further way, and walk to your co-worker’s office as an alternative to emailing.
Put LIVE into action!
L - Load or weight-bearing exercises make a difference for 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 into the future!
Certain factors increase the probability of developing osteoporosis.
While some of these risk factors are controllable, others won’t be.
Risk factors that may 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 are not to be controlled.
Women can lose about 20 percent of their bone mass in the five to seven years after menopause,
which makes them more vulnerable to osteoporosis.
It is never too early to begin thinking about bone density.
About 85-90 percent of adult bone mass is acquired by age 18 in girls and 20 in boys.
Nutrition and Exercise for Healthy Bones in childhood and Adolescence
Much of the reserve of healthy bone is built in youth and before the age of 30.
Women may be more vunerable to an inadequate foundation process at this time than men.
Sufficient calcium intake,a balanced diet with a good amount of vegetables and fruits and
load-bearing exercise are the recommendations for solid bone growth when you’re young.
Then, with continued exercise into old age –- and this goes for men as well — bone density decline may be kept to a minimum.
Although women are the main focus of data about osteoporosis and low bone density (osteopenia),
some men are also seriously afflicted by this problem.
In case you do each of the right things while growing up 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.
About the writer - Michelle Aultman writes for the elliptical trainer workout blog, her personal hobby blog devoted to ideas to prevent osteoporosis trough home fitness.
Author’s note: The details provided on this article are designed to support, not change, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her medical doctor.
Michelle Aultman has not commercial intent and does not accept direct source of advertising coming from health or pharmaceutical firms, doctors or clinics and websites.
All content provided by her is based on her editorial view and it’s not driven by an advertising and marketing purpose.
