Osteoporosis is a disease that weakens your bones, making them more brittle and easier to break. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine up to half of all women and a quarter of men over the age of 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis. Any bone in your body is potentially at risk as time passes on however the hips and spine are particularly susceptible. Perform certain exercises to strengthen the muscles around your spinal column.
Wall Squat
The experts at Johns Hopkins Health Alerts website recommend this exercises for osteoporosis as well as back pain. When you put demands on bone, such as resistance training, weight training or activities that work against gravity, it responds by becoming stronger and new tissue is formed. For this exercise all you need are sneakers and a wall. Start with a few warm up stretches, focusing on your back and quadriceps. Stand with your feet about a foot from the wall and lean back until your upper back is touching the wall. Slowly lower your bottom towards the floor until your knees are bent at a 90-degree angle or as low as you can go without straining. Pause for as long as you can stand it and return to the start position. This exercise encourages proper posture and places stress on your bones.
W Stretch
Return to the same starting position that you used for your wall squat. Push your head and buttocks back until they both touch the wall as well, which will require the stretch and flexing of muscles up and down your spine. Bend your knees to support your lower back as you bring your arms back into a W position with the back of your hands against the wall over your head. This motion will work the muscles in your upper back as well as extend your spine for better posture. This is a particularly good exercise if you have a Dowagers Hump, which is a curvature of the upper back. Repeat this motion for 8 to 12 repetitions and hold back for 30 seconds.
Lat Pull Down
Also from the Johns Hopkins Health Alerts website, the lat pull down strengthens the lat muscles on either side of your back as well as your shoulder blades, upper back and shoulders. You can find a lat pull down machine at your local gym, which is self explanatory, or do this exercise without weights by using an resistance band with the following instructions. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent and abdominals clinched. Grab the band with both hands and hold it above your head with your hands slightly more than shoulder width apart. Extend your arms out to the sides at shoulder height, or as far as the band will stretch, and widen your chest. Return to the starting position and repeat.
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