A disease without any symptoms, osteoporosis affects about 20 percent of men and 80 % of women. As the bones gradually become weaker, they are more likely to break in a minor fall or, if left untreated, even from simple things like a sneeze.The most typical fracture sites can be hip, wrist and spine, although any bone in your body could be affected. That’s why it is important to prevent osteoporosis as soon as possible.
Ways to Prevent Osteoporosis
A diagnosis of osteopenia or osteoporosis could be scary, leading most people to stop exercisse due to fear it will cause fractures.The truth is that those with low bone mass should make sure to exercise frequently. Being active has been shown to not just assist in preventing osteoporosis, but slow bone loss once it has already begun.
Before you start a fitness program
Before beginning a fitness program, you have to check with your doctor for guidelines, as degree of bone loss determines how much workout is best. Physicians can assess density of bone and fracture risk by scanning the body with a special type of X-ray machine. Along with exercise, treatment may include dietary modifications and/or estrogen replacement therapy. The more you know concerning this condition, the more you can do to help prevent its onset.
To create strength and bone mass, both weight-bearing and strength training exercises are ideal.
Weight-bearing exercises are the ones that require the bones to completely support your weight against gravity. Examples are walking, jogging, stair climbing, dancing or using an elliptical machine. Non-weight bearing exercises include biking, swimming, water aerobics and rowing. Weight-bearing activities like walking as little as three times weekly will benefit the bones. Read The Health and Fitness Benefits Of Lifting Weights.
Resistance training places mechanical force (stress) on our bodies, which in turn increases bone density. Start by lifting light weights, moving in a slow and controlled manner, increasing resistance as you become stronger.
It is recommended that people with osteoporosis avoid the following kinds of activity:
- Step aerobics and high-impact activities like running, jumping, tennis.
- Activities that involve rounding, bending and twisting of the spine.
- Moving the legs sideways or across the body, specially when performed against resistance.
- Rowing machines, trampolines.
- Every movement that involves pulling on the head and neck.
Exercise Tips:
Even if you don’t have osteoporosis, you must talk with your medical provider just before you start a training program.
- Remember to warm-up before beginning and cool-down at the end of every exercise session.
- To find the best benefit to your bone health, combine several different weight-bearing exercises.
- When you build strength, increase resistance, or weights, instead of repetitions.
- Remember to drink plenty of water whenever exercising.
- Vary the types of exercise that you do weekly.
- Combine weight bearing and resistance exercise with aerobic exercises to help you improve your general health.
- Bring your friend along to help you keep going or better yet, bring your family and encourage them to be healthy.
- Add more physical activity to your day; take the stairs vs. the elevator, park further way, and walk to your co-worker’s office instead of emailing.
Put LIVE into action!
L – Load or weight-bearing exercises make a difference for your bones
I – Intensity builds stronger bones.
V – Vary the kinds of exercise and your routine to keep interested.
E – Enjoy your exercises. Make exercise fun so you will continue in to the future!
Specific factors increase the probability of developing osteoporosis.
While a few of these risk factors are controllable, others won’t be.
Risk factors that can be controlled: Sedentary lifestyle, excess intake of protein, sodium,caffeine and/or alcohol, smoking, calcium and Vitamin D deficiencies and taking certain medicines.
Risk factors that can’t be controlled: Body frame, gender, family history and ethnicity.
Women can lose approximately 20 percent of their bone mass in the five to seven years after menopause, driving them to more subject to osteoporosis.
Nutrition and Exercise for Healthy Bones in childhood and Adolescence
It is never too soon to begin thinking of bone density. About 85-90 percent of adult bone mass is acquired by age 18 in girls and 20 in boys. Much of the reserve of healthy bone is built in youth and before the age of 30. Women can be more vunerable to an inadequate foundation process at this time than men. Sufficient calcium intake, a comprehensive diet with plenty of fruit and veggies and load-bearing exercise are the recommendations for solid bone growth when you’re young.
Bone density decline can be kept to a minimum with continued exercise into old age and this goes for men too.
Although women will be the main focus of data about osteoporosis and low bone density (osteopenia), some men are also seriously afflicted by this condition.
In case you do every one of the right things while maturing and into adulthood, your inherited characteristics – your genes can present you with bones that are susceptible to osteoporosis. This is even greater reason to maximize your lifestyle to prevent poor bone health.
About the author – Michelle Aultman writes for the elliptical machine blog, her personal hobby blog devoted to guidelines to prevent osteoporosis trough workout at home.
Author’s note: The details provided on this post are designed to support, not change, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her physician.
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