Exercise Strengthens Fight Against Osteoporosis

If you want to keep your bones healthy, then get moving, researchers advise. Why?  Because as your hair starts to gray and the skin starts to wrinkle, your bones start losing mass. Osteoporosis is a major cause of disability in older people, resulting in the density and quality of bones being reduced, which in turn leads to weakness of the skeleton and increased risk of fracture. As many as one-third of women and one in five men over 50 suffer from the condition.In an International Osteoporosis Foundation report entitled “Move it or Lose it,” experts contend that in laying down the bone foundation which serves for a lifetime, exercise is just as important as diet. Bone is living tissue that responds to exercise by becoming stronger. Just as a muscle gets stronger and bigger the more you use it, a bone becomes stronger and denser when you place demands on it (University of Arizona College of Public Health, 2005).

The more bone mass you build before age 25 or 30, the better protected you will be against fractures during the years of gradual bone loss. So for those who have been actively involved in an exercise regimen for some time, you’ll be well protected.

Sure, you say, that great for those already exercising for decades, but what about me? My muscles are soft like a month old pastry and my bones keep singing a painful symphony. So I don’t see myself hoisting weights like Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Don’t sweat it. It’s never too late to start exercising; even when the pace of bone loss really picks up. Exercise increases your muscle strength, improves your balance and helps you avoid falls. And crucially, later on in life it still aids in maintaining bone density.

Choosing the right form of exercise

Three types of activities are often recommended for people with osteoporosis: (1) Strength training, which includes free weights, weight machines, bodyweight training, resistance bands or water exercises. (2) Weight-bearing aerobic activities, which include walking, dancing, and low-impact aerobics. And (3) Flexibility exercises, which help increase the mobility of joints, prevent muscle injury and improve posture.

Swimming and water aerobics don’t have the impact your bones need to slow mineral loss. However, they are useful in cases of extreme osteoporosis or during rehabilitation following a fracture.

If you have osteoporosis, avoid high-impact exercises, such as jumping, running or jogging, and any which cause you bend forward and twist your waist, such as touching your toes, doing sit-ups or using a rowing machine. This may also include golf, tennis, bowling and some yoga poses, as they increase compression in the spine and lower extremities and can lead to fractures in weakened bones.

But don’t let fear of fractures keep you from having fun and being active. Exercise in a slow and controlled manner, and always consult your doctor, a professional trainer or physiotherapist before starting any exercise program for osteoporosis. You may need a bone density test and a fitness assessment first.

Is Pain A Normal Part Of Aging?

Pain and aging – it seems that we see these two words together more and more these days. And for good reason. The health benefits of an appropriate fitness program are well documented – but on the face of it all – largely ignored with seniors.

Well, what happened? Are you so different than you were in your younger years? Ah yes, that was a time so unique, so special. You were strong then, and full of promise; thinking you would live forever. Well, forever sure ain’t what you thought it would be. Along came college, marriage, kids, jobs, more kids, grandchildren and the inevitable wow-what-happened-to-the-time reflection.

Remember when you used to look at your parents and marvel how age was creeping up on them? Well guess what – you’re now in their place and no longer the person you used to be. It seems everything works begrudgingly, if at all. Perhaps a little bit more unsteady, weaker on the stairs; and less energy. And the brain now seems to have a mind of its own, often telling the body to walk into a room only to let it wonder why it’s there.

So does it all have to be that way? Is the body designed to give out and give pain? Does your brain really need to take inventory of every new creak, twinge, ache, and strain that now assaults your body? Not at all! It’s just that many seniors think, “Well, if I had known I was to live so long, I’d have taken better care of myself.”

And that’s the crux of the matter. Our body becomes frail because we have not used it properly, the way it was designed to be used. And interestingly, those who need it most partake of it least. There’s enough information available for seniors today to understand that exercise and nutrition go hand in hand to build strong bones and muscles. Together they help reduce blood pressure and that nasty gunk that tends to build up in the arteries. It’s that stuff your doctor keeps hollering at you about – called plaque. Yechh.

Anyways, it’s been said (by your doctor – remember?) that exercise is good for you in many ways. But I’m willing to bet that many seniors already know every reason why they should avoid it.

Well, let me also give you a few reasons why you should partake of it. When you carry a sack of groceries up a flight of stairs, your heart will not feel like it’s pounding a mile a minute. Your leg and hip muscles will be strong enough to actually propel you up the stairs without having to hang on to the railing. And when you come down again, you won’t have to worry about doing a nose plant down the first five steps because your strength gave out.

So now you’re ready to get going? No more beating around the bush, right? You’re going to lift yourself up by the bootstraps and get all fired up? I can see you pushing it to the limit and pulling out all the stops; get the ball rolling and let it all hang out.

What’s that, right after your morning paper? C’mon now, you’ve already had your coffee, took your pills and feigned a couple of squats and stretches. If you’re waiting for something to fit your lifestyle, then you should have done that 30 years ago. Your concern now is to lose a few pounds and get moving in order to avoid shortness of breath, weak knees, painful arthritis and high pharmaceutical bills.

Ok, so we’re mobile, now what’s in the exercise plan? There’s lots to do out there that fits into the category of fun. You can walk or take a daily swim, bike a blue streak, or yoga and Tai Chi till you’re wobbly with serenity. Ask at your local YMCA or Parks & Recreation Society about available programs for seniors. These places might even have qualified instructor who will teach you to become one with your “Inner Arnold.”

If that doesn’t sound like fun, then you can accept chronic pain and get cranky to the point of curmudgeonism. But I pity the next salesman that rings your doorbell.