Bone Up on Prevention: Best Types of Exercise to Ward Off Osteoporosis

July 16, 2023

by Cathe Friedrich

Do you want to take better care of your bones and keep osteoporosis at bay? Osteoporosis is a serious disease that mostly affects women after menopause. It is sometimes called “brittle bone disease.” You might think that only women get it, but 10% of cases occur in men. No matter your gender, minding bone health is a must.

One way to lower the risk and preserve bone health is to exercise. According to Mayo Clinic, exercise helps reduce the risk of fractures and improve muscle strength and enhance posture and balance. Plus, research shows whole body vibration (WBV) exercises, performed with dedicated devices, can enhance muscle strength, improve balance, and reduce the risk of falling.

So, what kind of exercises are best for preserving bone health and lowering the risk of osteoporosis and falls?

Weight-Bearing Exercises

Weight bearing exercises are the ticket to bone health. In contrast, exercises like cycling where a bike or swimming where the water supports your weight are not effective for stimulating the laydown of new bone. You need exercises where your bones bear the load. Think of activities like dancing, walking, jogging, or jumping.

Walking has health and fitness benefits but it’s not high impact like jogging. With jogging or running, both feet leave the ground at the same time. The high impact nature of running and jogging stimulates bone growth more. The pounding action of your feet hitting the ground signals bone cells called osteoblasts and tells them to lay down new bone. Jogging helps to strengthen not only your bones but boosts stamina and supports heart health. So, get your jog on and give your bones a workout.

What you do recreationally affects bone health too. Game, set, match – and strong bones, too! Tennis is a weight-bearing exercise that combines fun, strategy, and bone-building benefits. The quick sprints, sudden stops, and powerful swings put your bones to work, keeping them strong and resilient. Volleyball is another recreational exercise that improves bone health. One study found that young female volleyball players who trained for about 8 hours per week had higher bone mineral density (BMD) in various regions relative to controls.

Strength Training:

High-intensity resistance training not only improves bone health but has a positive influence on other factors that affect skeletal health, including strength, balance, and muscle mass. Strength training is one of the best ways to avoid the ravages of osteoporosis.

Why is working muscles against resistance so effective? When you do resistance exercises like lifting weights or using resistance bands, your muscles create force. This force is transferred to your bones, which adapts to the added stress and makes new bone tissue. An advantage of resistance training is you get site specific gains in bone density too.

To get the most benefits of strength training for bone health, use heavy weights, a resistance that you can only complete 6 to 8 reps before your muscles are spent. Lighter weights aren’t as effective for stimulating the laydown of new bone. And don’t forget about progressive overload – gradually increase the weight or resistance as your muscles and bones get stronger.

Balance and Stability

Who said balance was just for tightrope walkers? It turns out, improving your balance can do wonders for your bone health. Activities like yoga, tai chi, or even balancing on one leg will keep you steady on your feet and give your bones and brain the training they need to prevent falls.

A randomized controlled trial found that a balance training program was highly effective in improving functional status and reducing the risk of falls in elderly women with osteoporosis. So, strike a pose, channel your inner Zen, and say goodbye to weak bones! Also, when you weight train, do some unilateral exercises to enhance your balance skills, such as single-leg deadlifts and Bulgarian split squats.

Jump for Joy

Jumping jacks, anyone? Plyometric exercises are the name of the game here. These high intensity moves, like jumping rope or doing squat jumps, make your bones work extra hard. The impact stimulates bone growth and helps preserve bone density. Examples of plyometric exercises that stimulate bone growth include:

Jumping jacks
Jump squats
Box jumps
Lateral jumps
Skater jumps
Jumping lunges
Burpees

Get Out in the Sun

Now, this isn’t exercise, but it’s important. Getting some sun or taking a vitamin D supplement to supply your body with vitamin D is important for healthy bones. A large randomized controlled study showed that healthy middle-aged and older adults who took 2,000 international units of vitamin D daily had fewer bone fractures than those who took a placebo during five years of follow-up.

Therefore, while vitamin D is important for bone health, it is not a guarantee against osteoporosis and bone fractures. You need enough to support bone health, but there’s little evidence that taking vitamin D supplements to raise your level beyond a sufficient level offers added protection. Maintaining a healthy vitamin D level is also necessary for a balanced immune system. So, take a stroll outdoors, soak up some sunshine to help your body synthesize more vitamin D.

Conclusion

Well, there you have it, the types of exercise that are best for preserving bone density and preventing osteoporosis. Remember, prevention is the key, and these exercises are your secret weapon against brittle bones. So, get moving, stay active, and show osteoporosis who’s boss! Your bones will thank you, and you’ll be taking charge of your bone health. Keep exercising, keep those bones strong, and keep living life to the fullest.

References:

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