Many older people believe that exercise will lead to
fractures. This is not entirely true. The right kind of exercise can improve
bone and muscle strength, as well as improves balance, coordination, and
flexibility (WebMD, 2012).
What exercise is good? Weight-bearing exercise and low impact
exercise are best to help strengthen bones.
What is considered weight-bearing exercise?
Weight-Bearing
Exercises for Osteoporosis
If your doctor determines that it's
not safe for you to perform high-impact weight-bearing exercises, he or she may
recommend low-impact weight-bearing exercises that are less likely to cause
fractures and also build and maintain bone density. These include but not limited to:
- elliptical training machines
- low-impact aerobics
- stair-step machines or step aerobics
- walking (either outside or on a treadmill machine)
- weight lifting
- dancing
- stair climbing
- jogging
- hiking
- tennis
In low-impact, weight-bearing exercise, you do not
jump or twist. Usually, one foot is always on the ground. Elliptical trainers
provide low-impact weight-bearing benefit, as do treadmills and stair-climbing
machines.
Swimming is not considered good exercise for osteoporosis because it is not weight bearing. Walking in the water is encouraged if you are not strong enough to tolerate land walking. After water exercises and walking in the water, you may be able to progress to walking and exercises out of the water.
If you're new to exercise, or
haven't exercised for awhile, you should aim to gradually increase your level
of weight-bearing exercise to 30 minutes per day on most days of the week.
Always check with your doctor before beginning any
new exercise activity. Ask about any conditions such as high blood pressure,
heart disease, etc. before beginning exercise routines.
Whether you have been diagnosed with osteoporosis or
not, exercises or physical activity that place weight on your bones or increase
the force of gravity against them can help you maintain bone mass. These
activities include dancing, cross-country skiing, stair climbing, tennis and
walking. Exercise also helps you move more easily and keeps your balance
decreasing your risk of falls.
I like that you gave examples and explained what resistance exercise is. A lot of people tend to self-prescribe water aerobics or other swimming activities to people that are not used to weight bearing activities or that are overweight. The cardiovascular benefit of swimming is great but like you mentioned, there is no resistance to build lean tissue. There are "water weights" that can be used to recruit more muscle while in the water. Another avenue is to use kick boards and other devices that require more work than just swimming through the water. A shallow water workout can also be done to get the best of both worlds; less impact but more resistance. You did a great job explaining the differences in training intensity as well as provide resources for a better understanding. Great post!
ReplyDeleteYour blog is really hitting home to me this week. My 82 year old mother, who has been completely independent, fell last weekend and broke her hip. It appears that she had a stress fracture in the hip for some time now, and when she fell, it really broke! She underwent internal fixation (3 screws) and is currently in acute rehab. Because of the fractured hip, she has to be non-weight bearing for the next 4 weeks. That means using a lot of upper body and arm strength and because of mom's osteoporosis the therapists have to be careful that she doesn't break an arm doing the strengthening exercises. Mom never thought much about the fact that she didn't get much calcium or worry about making sure she consumed specific vitamins. It's now, in her later years that it's making such a big impact. If we only had a glimpse of our future while we are younger! Great post reminding people of all ages the importance of exercises and diet.
ReplyDeleteHi Marsha,
ReplyDeleteThanks for this very informative and important post. It was very touching to me because four weeks ago, my mother in law, which is 70 year old with osteoporosis, suffered from mild heart attack. She was hospitalized for two weeks, and unfortunately while she was leaving the hospital, she fell and broke her hip. Because of the fractured hip, she has to stay in the hospital for the next 6 weeks. You cannot imagine how much she is frustrated and angry because her condition. She is very independent person and now she has to let other people to do her daily most basic functions such as bathing. Although my mother in law know that because of the osteoporosis, she must to have some type of physical activity such as walking every day for 30 minutes to help maintaining bone density. But, the ironic thing that she refuses to exercise because she believes that if she walk or do any kind of exercises, she would fall and harm her self. The bad news is that elderly people with osteoporosis in my country have the same belief just like my mother, combined with fact that there are no educational intervention programs is very serious issue. This is one of many examples of health issues that people in my country suffer from that encouraged me to change my academic field and pursue a doctoral degree in health education and promotion.
Abeer
Marsha, I thought of my 70 year old grandparents when I read your blog. Unfortunately, they do not exercise and I find this very upsetting because they have a car and can drive, are retired and have the time and live near a facility where they can obtain memberships for free! As a health educator, it makes me consider how I would encourage others to begin an exercise program when they have little motivation. I bought my grandfather a stationary pedal machine (not a full bike) last summer after his heart attack and I have to remind him to use it. After reading your blog, I am going to buy my grandma some weights and an appropriate exercise video so that she can keep her bones strong!
ReplyDeleteThis post included some really good exercise options for anyone with bone or joint limitations. Swimming or water exercises does not provide the weight bearing advantage, but it does provide an opportunity for exercise with less stress. We do often suggest water aerobics to our patients with arthritis as it encourages movement with the reduced possibility of injury. Considering their diagnosis, if a patient has not been exercising regularly or not at all, it sounds like low impact, weight-bearing exercise is a great place to start. Thanks for the post.
ReplyDelete