Exercises Specific For Osteoporosis Of The Spine

Osteoporosis is marked by decrease in bone mass, causing bones to become weak and brittle. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, around 10 million people have osteoporosis and about 34 million people are at risk for developing it. In the manual, "National Academy of Sports Medicine Personal Fitness Training," Michael Clark, Scott Lucett and Rodney Corn state that susceptible areas to fracture are the neck, the femur and the lower back. You can improve your bone health through resistance training, and posture and balance exercises.

Bones Are Living Tissue

Our bones are alive and they require calcium, as do our muscles and nerves. If there is not enough intake of calcium through food or supplement, calcium is taken from our bones making them weak. When we are young it is important to engage in exercise and weight-bearing activities to create bone mass. At about age 30, we are at our peak in terms of creating bone mass.

Resistance Training

Resistance training provides overall strength and increases balance. It is important to recognize what category of resistance training should be utilized. For example, for some people weight-bearing activities would be contraindicated. For them, non-weight-bearing resistance exercises would be appropriate and could include seated pulley weight machines and performing resistance exercises in a sitting position. Weight-bearing exercises include, for example, standing exercises with free weights and wall squats using a stability wall.

Posture and Balance

For people with osteoporosis, good posture, balance and strong muscles can prevent falls. A 2006 report by Osteoporosis Australia notes that implementing balance and posture exercises can reduce falls by 20 percent. Weight-bearing exercises, such as dancing, tai chi, jogging and power walking can stimulate bone growth. Johns Hopkins Health Alerts suggests incorporating single-leg balance exercises using a chair, as well as standing hip flexion, standing side leg raises and knee flexion exercises for 8 to 15 repetitions.

Frequency

Clark, Lucett and Corn recommend that exercises should be done 2 to 5 days a week for a minimum of 6 months to see benefits from the exercise program. Resistance training frequency should be from 1 to 3 sets with 8 to 20 repetitions per set. Exercise sessions should last between 20 minutes and one hour or broken up into 8 to 10 minute sessions.

Warning

Consult your physician or a physical therapist before beginning an exercise routine. They can recommend which type of exercise routine to begin, and whether it is weight-bearing or not.