...and what to do about it!

It’s common to believe that as your bones are weaker, you should stay away from exercise to avoid injuries however that is completely incorrect and in fact it is doing more harm than good the longer you believe that idea. For people with osteoporosis, it’s absolutely necessary that you exercise. The density in our bones peak before we are 30 and from there it declines rapidly as we age. From there, fractures in the hip and spine become increasingly common and often it can happen in the absence of injury or a fall. Many people feel like their life comes to a standstill once diagnosed as they become too worried to venture out of their homes, participate in social events or exercise. So, what is the best way forward once diagnosed with osteoporosis?

There are thoroughly researched and proven ways that show what helps and what doesn’t help promote and maintain bone density. Without knowing the difference, you can be wasting your time with exercises that don’t work or even leaving yourself vulnerable to injuries.     

What works: To properly stimulate bone growth the right amount of force into the bones is required. Aerobic exercises in weight-bearing positions such as walking, tai-chi, dancing will help with your cardiovascular fitness as well as keeping the bones strong. Resistance training involving bodyweight, dumbbell or resistance bands are proven to help improve physical strength, fitness and mobility while also maintaining bone mass. 

What to be careful of/ avoid: Exercises with high impact can cause breaks in the bones if the bones are already brittle. When this is the case exercises such as running, jumping rope or any exercise that involves jumping should be very carefully done. Exercises that are advised against include ones that round or twist the spine repetitively or forcefully as this can overload and fracture the spine. Examples include racquet sports(E.g. tennis), golf or even certain yoga and pilates positions. Lastly and most importantly, contact sports or sports that involve risk of falling need to be avoided. 

What doesn’t work: What doesn’t work is exercises in non-weight bearing positions such as swimming, aqua aerobics, hydrotherapy or cycling. Although they help with improving your fitness, they won’t benefit your bone health.

The worse thing to do is to be fearful of exercising and gradually become less and less active. This sedentary lifestyle leads to a decline in muscle strength, flexibility and balance which accelerates the decline in bone mass and leaves you more vulnerable to fractures. Treatment at that stage can’t reverse the effects but can only look to maintain the remaining bone strength and is why earlier management is always advocated.

Without a proper assessment of your body’s condition, it is difficult to determine how to safely start or advance. A trained physiotherapist is best positioned to design and walk you through a tailored program to safely commence or even enhance your exercises.