Aerobic exercise involves exercising to the point that your body requires additional oxygen to function. In order to be aerobic, exercise must usually be of a specific intensity and duration. Osteoporosis is a condition that occurs when there is a significant reduction of your bone's mineral density, which causes bones to become weaker and more prone to fractures. Weight-bearing aerobic activity can help prevent osteoporosis
Aerobic Exercise
In order to be considered aerobic exercise, you must work out to the point that you need to breathe harder than normal for an extended period of time. Quick bursts of short-duration exercise are considered anaerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise benefits many of your body's systems, including the heart, lungs and muscles, and can increase bone mass if the activity causes you to bear weight. If you don't have osteoporosis, aerobic exercise can help prevent it. If you already have osteoporosis, finding a safe aerobic exercise can help slow your bone loss.
About Osteoporosis
Your bones are constantly breaking down and being rebuilt, a process called remodeling or bone turnover. When you are in your 20s and 30s, your bone is rebuilt at approximately the same rate as it is broken down. In your 30s, you reach peak bone mass, the most amount of bone mass you'll have in your lifetime. After that, bone breaks down faster than it is rebuilt. Osteoporosis can occur if you don't have enough peak bone mass to keep up with bone loss or if bone loss speeds up, which tends to happen after menopause.
Osteoporosis is treated with medication, hormone therapy and physical therapy that may include strength-training and bone-strengthening exercises.
Preventing Osteoporosis with Aerobics
Not all aerobic exercises build bone density. Aerobic exercises that do not require you to bear weight, such as swimming, bicycling and working out on an elliptical training machine, do not significantly increase bone density. To prevent osteoporosis, make sure you include weight-bearing exercises in your workout routine. Weigh-bearing exercises, such as walking, jogging, tennis and rope jumping, all help to build bone mass and can help prevent excessive bone loss later in life.
Exercising With Osteoporosis
If you already have osteoporosis, finding a safe aerobic exercise is crucial to preventing injuries. Walking, golf, dancing or doing low-impact aerobics can all increase your cardiovascular health while strengthening your bones and muscles. Choosing slow, controlled exercises will help prevent injuring weakened bones better than activities like jumping, running or jogging. Always check with your doctor before staring any exercise program.
