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Osteoporosis is one of the most common bone diseases. In this condition, bone mass is reduced and the architectural structure of the bones is disrupted.

Bones are living tissues that are constantly breaking down and rebuilding. Osteoporosis occurs because the cells responsible for breaking down bones are more active than those responsible for rebuilding them, putting you at risk for fractures.

Half of women and a quarter of men over the age of 50 will have a fracture due to osteoporosis at some point in their lives.

Proper exercise can help rebuild bones and reduce the chance of fractures. Here are some exercise recommendations that can help prevent osteoporotic fractures.

Cardiovascular Conditioning

To see changes in bone density, cardiovascular exercise requires using your body weight. Swimming and cycling don’t do this, so walking, jogging, and dancing are more effective options. It’s also important to increase the intensity of your exercise as you exercise.

To see improvements in bone density, it’s a good idea to “shock” your bones while you walk. You can do this by speeding up your walking pace, changing directions (try moving backwards or sideways), or finding some hills to climb. Alternating between higher-intensity exercise two to three times a week and lower-intensity activity four to five times a week is the most effective exercise.

Strength exercises

Work out with free weights, use machines at the gym, or do floor exercises to build strength. Recent studies confirm that lifting enough weight is important to stimulate bone growth. For this reason, you will need to do fewer reps with more weight.

To determine how much weight you should be lifting, look for a “1-Rep Max” calculator, which can be found on various websites. Then, aim for 70 to 80% of your 1-rep maximum.

Remember, each exercise is specific to a specific body part.

You should target the areas that are most prone to fractures:

• the spine
• the hips
• the wrists.

Weight training is recommended two to three times a week.

One area that often needs attention is the extensor muscles, which are located on the back of the spine. Strengthening these muscles will allow you to improve your posture and reduce your risk of fractures.

You can also improve bone density with bone-bearing exercises. A great exercise is to stomp your foot on the ground with force. Do four repetitions on each leg twice a day, using as much force as it takes to crush a soda can. This can help increase bone density in the hip area.

Stretching

Stretching stiff muscles reduces back pain and promotes good spinal mechanics and posture.

The muscles that are usually the most stiff are those you use to:

• Slouch (spinal extensors).
• Raise and rotate your shoulders (scapular levators and shoulder rotators).
• Lift your knees (hip flexors).
• Bring your feet in toward your body (foot dorsiflexors).

Stretches should be performed slowly and smoothly, to the point of elasticity, without pain. For maximum benefit, do stretches for 20 to 30 seconds once or twice a day.

Yoga and Pilates are useful for stretching and lengthening muscle groups, but they involve a lot of forward bending. If you want to try this exercise, you should exercise with caution and only do it with an experienced instructor, after first disclosing that you have osteoporosis.

What to avoid

Exercises that keep your spine straight or slightly curved are generally safer than exercises that involve forward bending. This is because most spinal fractures occur in the forward bending position.If you already have an osteoporotic fracture, avoid exercises that involve forward bending, side bending, and trunk rotation. Properly strengthening your lower abdominal and back muscles will also help achieve optimal posture for your spine.

You can always develop a safe, effective, individualized exercise program — even if you have had a fracture. Good luck!!!