Many people think that exercising is only meant for unhealthy or ill or for fat people but this is a wrong perception. When you exercise on a regular basis then it helps to keep you fit and fine. It is the best way of dealing with Osteoporosis. It helps in to strengthen your bone by preventing Osteoporosis and makes your life easier.
Why does doctors/physiotherapist recommend exercise for osteoporosis?
Exercising not only helps in building your muscles but also keeps you fit in many ways. It gives strength to your bones, helps in maintenance and building the thickness of your bones. Many health professionals call this “bone mass & density”. If you are suffering from osteoporosis then practicing exercise on a regular basis will protect and build your bone.
Types of Osteoporosis
There are two types of osteoporosis Primary and secondary osteoporosis
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Primary Osteoporosis:
It is common in women than man and starts hitting when bone mass reaches the peak. This happens normally at the age of 30 years. This happens when a women production of estrogen slowdowns between the age of 45 to 55 years. In men when the production of testosterone get affected or slow down at the age of 45 to 50 years then also osteoporosis happens.
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Secondary Osteoporosis:
Secondary Osteoporosis is similar to the primary one, but this happens due to some medical issues. Medical conditions like hyperparathyroidism, hyperthyroidism, or leukemia are the reason behind causing osteoporosis. High intake of some medicines like a high dose of thyroid replacement, high dose inhaled corticosteroids or aromatizes inhibitors for breast cancer may also cause osteoporosis.
It’s important to built bone density and for that types of exercises required are weight bearing and muscle strengthening:-
Weight-bearing Exercises
Weight-bearing exercises make you move against gravity while staying upright. This type of exercise can be high or low impacted depending on symptoms of osteoporosis.
High impacted exercises help in keeping bones strong and built them by giving them strength. Avoid doing high impacted bearing exercises, if you have a risk of or broken bone due to osteoporosis. However low impacted weight bearing exercises also helps in keeping bones strong and is a great alternative to high impact exercises.
High-impact weight-bearing exercises are:
- Dancing
- Doing high-impact aerobics
- Hiking
- Jogging/running
- Jumping Rope
- Stair climbing
- Tennis
Low-impact weight-bearing exercises are:
- Using elliptical training machines
- Doing low-impact aerobics
- Using stair-step machines
- Fast walking on a treadmill or outside
Muscle-Strengthening Exercises
Muscle strength exercises make your body weight resistance move against gravity. This is also known as resistance exercise. To avoid high impact you can start with low impact exercises for dealing with Osteoporosis.
- Lift your body weight
- Using elastic bands for stretching exercises
- Lifting weights (Under professional guidance)
- Using weight machine
- Body functional movements like rising or standing up on your toes
The problem of osteoporosis can also be cured by doing yoga or Pilates. It also helps in improving flexibility, strength and balancing body. There are a few exercises that may not be safe for people with osteoporosis. If you’re not sure, you should check with your healthcare provider. A physiotherapist should be able to help you guide or teach what exercises are safe and appropriate for you.