Very important at every age for healthy bones, exercise is important for treating as well as preventing osteoporosis. Not only can exercise enhance your bone health, in addition it can increase muscle strength, coordination, and balance, and lead to better complete health.
As with muscle, bone is living tissue which responds to exercise through becoming stronger. Young women and men who regularly exercise generally achieve greater peak bone mass (maximum bone density and strength) as opposed to those who do not.
For most individuals, bone mass peaks during the third decade of life. After that time, we can start to lose bone. Women and men older than the age 20 can help prevent bone loss with regular exercise. Also, exercising can help us to maintain muscle strength, coordination as well as balance, which in turn assists to prevent falls and related fractures. This is particularly important for older adults and people who have been diagnosed with osteoporosis.
Exercises Which Build Healthy Bones
While most kinds of exercise are good for you, not all kinds are good for healthy bones. For instance, weight-bearing exercises may build healthy bone. These exercises include challenging your muscle strength against gravity as well as putting pressure on your bones. So, your bones will signal your body to produce additional tissue in order to build stronger bones. Exercises – for instance walking or swimming – may be beneficial to your lung and heart health but won’t certainly help you strengthen your bones.
With strength training, you make use of weights, resistance bands, or your own body weight in order to strengthen your muscles. This is important as strong muscles – especially those near your spine – can assist with protecting your bones. However, strength training also puts pressure on your bones. This assists with building and maintaining bone mass.
It’s a very good idea to ask a physical therapist or certified personal trainer to assist you to create a strength training workout that’s safe as well as tailored to your needs. If you don’t want to go into a gym or physical therapy office, some fitness experts may be able to help you through video calls.
Foot Stomps
The goal for exercise to lessen the effects of osteoporosis is to challenge the key areas of your body which osteoporosis most commonly affects, such as your hips. One of the ways that you can challenge your hip bones is by foot stomps:
- While standing, stomp your foot, imagining that you are crushing an imaginary can underneath it.
- Repeat four times on one of your feet and then repeat the exercise on your other foot.
- Hold on to a railing or solid piece of furniture if you have difficulty keeping your balance.
Bicep Curls
You are able to perform bicep curls with either dumbbells weighing between ½ a kilo to 2 kilos or a resistance band. These can be done when you’re sitting or standing, depending on what you’re most comfortable with:
- Take hold of a dumbbell in each one of your hands or step on a resistance band while you’re holding an end in each of your hands.
- Pull the bands or weights in towards your chest and watch the bicep muscles on the fronts of your upper arms contract.
- Lower your arms in order to return to your starting position.
- Repeat between eight and 12 times. Rest and then repeat the exercise for a second set, if possible.
Shoulder Lifts
In addition, you’ll require weights or a resistance band in order to perform shoulder lifts. You are able to do this exercise from either a standing or seated position:
- Take a dumbbell in each of your hands. Alternatively, step on a resistance band while holding an end in each of your hands.
- Begin with your arms down and hands down at your sides.
- Gradually raise your arms out straight in front of you, however, don’t lock your elbow.
- Lift to a relaxed height, but no higher than your shoulder level.
- Repeat between eight and 12 times. Rest for a number of seconds and then repeat for a second set, if you are able to.
Contact Trifocus Fitness Academy
Do you want to learn more about exercises? If you do, then you need to do our Personal Training Diploma. Follow this link to find out more.
