What is Osteoporosis?
Early in its progression, Osteoporosis (OP) is often called a "silent disease" because it typically shows no signs or symptoms. Osteopenia, a less severe condition, precedes an Osteoporosis diagnosis. With appropriate treatment, you can reduce the risk of progressing to Osteoporosis while improving bone health and strength. Osteoporosis can affect any bone, but it most commonly occurs in the spine, hip, wrist, arms, and pelvis.
Common risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing Osteoporosis include:
- Increasing age
- Family history or Genetics
- Post-menopausal women
- Low body mass index
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Poor nutrition, especially low calcium and vitamin D intake
- Overweight or obesity
- Certain medications including cancer treatments and hormone therapy
- History of fractures
- Smoking and excessive alcohol consumption
How can Exercise Help?
Exercise stimulates the bones through movement and weight-bearing activities, promoting improved or maintained bone density. It also enhances balance, reducing the risk of falls and potential fractures. Targeted exercise focuses on strengthening the muscles around the joints most vulnerable to Osteoporosis, applying gradual and specific loads to encourage the bones to adapt and become stronger.
What Type of Exercise?
Strength Training
Resistance exercise involves using an external force (such as weights or exercise equipment) to challenge movement. This leads to increased muscle strength and improves the muscle’s ability to work more efficiently. Resistance training also helps improve or maintain bone mineral density, as the muscles pull on the bones, prompting them to strengthen and adapt. With gradual increases in force, bones become stronger and more resilient, making resistance exercise a vital component in managing Osteoporosis.
Impact exercise
Moderate to high-impact exercises like jumping and skipping are highly effective for increasing bone mineral density. To keep seeing improvements, it’s important to vary the direction of these movements, as bones and muscles adapt to repetitive, predictable impacts. However, if you have other joint or bone conditions (such as Osteoarthritis) these exercises may need to be modified for safety. Be sure to inform your Exercise Physiologist so they can tailor your program accordingly.
Balance Training
Activities like yoga, standing on one leg, or tandem walking are especially important for Osteoporosis because they improve balance and help prevent falls. By enhancing muscle strength, posture, and stability, these exercises reduce the risk of falling and, consequently, lower the likelihood of fractures.
Exercise Physiologists Role:
Working with an Exercise Physiologist specifically helps manage Osteoporosis by providing personalised, safe, and effective exercise programs tailored to your bone health and overall condition. We focus on strengthening muscles around vulnerable joints, improving balance to reduce fall risk, and applying gradual, targeted loads to stimulate bone growth and density. While considering any other health conditions or ailments you may have, we closely monitor your progress, adjust exercises as needed, and offer guidance on movement techniques and lifestyle factors to support long-term bone health and prevent fractures.
