If you’re trying to maintain healthy bones for later life, regular exercise plays a very important role by helping build strong bones, increase muscle strength, and improve coordination and balance.

As we’ve already discussed, bone loss occurs as we get older, however it is possible to increase your bone density during middle adulthood.

What are the benefits of exercise on bone health?

• In childhood and adolescence exercise helps to maximise peak bone density.
• In early and middle adulthood it maintains bone strength by helping to slow bone loss, and improve muscle strength.
• For postmenopausal women exercise can help slow the rate of bone loss.
• For men it helps muscular strength, balance and coordination.
• In adults with osteoporosis exercise can improve strength, balance, and posture to prevent falls.

Being active isn’t just about working out at the gym, it also means enjoying a variety of activities throughout the day. These can include:

• Housework
• Shopping
• Climbing stairs
• Lawn bowls
• Dancing
• Golf
• Gardening
• Cycling

Exercise for bone growth needs to be regular and varied. Most people should be aiming for at least 30 minutes five times each week, including a variety of aerobic (swimming, cycling), weight bearing (brisk walking), and strength training (weight training) sessions. Brisk walking is ideal, since it is both weight bearing and aerobic.

If you’re new to exercise, it’s important to begin slowly, increasing the intensity of your workout gradually at your body gets used to your new regimen.

If you have already been diagnosed with osteoporosis, please see below “Exercise and osteoporosis.”

Weight bearing exercise

This is exercise where you are supporting your own body weight. Examples include:

• Jogging
• Brisk walking
• Hiking or Hill walking
• Tennis
• Squash
• Netball
• Basketball
• Pilates
• Tai Chi
• Dancing
• Golf

Note: Non weight bearing exercises, such as swimming and cycling, do not promote bone growth.

Strength training

Resistance exercises also have a beneficial effect on bone strength, and can take the form of resistance bands, hand weights, machine weights, or using your own body weight.

Exercise and osteoporosis

If you have osteoporosis, high intensity exercise can be risky, and a poorly performed workout can actually outweigh the bone strengthening benefits of these exercises.

So, what can you do?

The best approach is to visit your doctor and request an individually prescribed exercise program from a qualified physiotherapist.

Your aim should be to maintain bone strength and reduce the risk of falls and fractures by improving posture, balance and muscle strength. It is important that you try to lead an active lifestyle, as this will make sure you maintain good balance and co-ordination into later years.

Appropriate exercises may include Tai Chi, gentle weight lifting, or walking.

As always please talk to your doctor first to make sure the workout you choose is safe for you.

Osteoporosis series

This is the third in a series of posts relating to calcium and osteoporosis. Remember to check out the previous articles on calcium and supplements for osteoporosis.

Please drop me an email if you have any specific questions or suggestions relating to the series. I’d love to hear from you.