Exercise is beneficial to your health in several ways, including in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. According to the National Institutes of Health, women older than the age of 50 are especially at risk of developing osteoporosis --- one out of every five American women to be exact. Exercise can improve the health of your bones to prevent them from becoming brittle. It's one of the best ways to prevent broken bones as you age.
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by the loss of bone density and bone tissue over a period of time. It's far more common in the elderly. Two of the most important minerals associated with bone health are calcium and phosphate. When you don't get enough of these minerals in your diet, your bone density can begin to break down. One of the primary causes of osteoporosis, according to the NIH, is living a sedentary lifestyle and not exercising.
How It Works
The main benefit of using exercise to treat and prevent osteoporosis is that it helps to slow mineral loss from your bones. So, your bone density stays high, which keeps your bones strong and less apt to break. Other benefits that exercise offers is that it can help regulate estrogen levels in women and testosterone levels in men. The Mayo Clinic mentions decreased production of these hormones as one of the causes of osteoporosis.
Exercise Recommendation
The general recommendation by the NIH is to exercise 30 to 60 minutes per day on most days of the week. People with osteoporosis should choose a combination of strength-building and weight-bearing exercise. These are the types of exercises that the Mayo Clinic mentions as especially effective for strengthening bones. Some examples include weightlifting, walking, biking, elliptical training, stair climbing and resistance band training. Avoid high-impact exercise like jumping and running. Other activities to avoid include ones that cause your spine to twist, such as golf, bowling and some yoga poses.
Considerations
Consider using a combination of aerobic and anaerobic exercise to both improve the health of your bones and your cardiovascular system. For instance, exercise on an elliptical machine for 45 minutes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and perform 30 to 45 minutes of light resistance training using dumbbells and other weightlifting equipment on Tuesday and Thursday. Before starting your workout regimen it's important to get a bone density check by your doctor to be sure you're ready for exercise.
