Stretching – in addition to other physical activities – can help manage osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis is a painful condition that can affect both men and women. We spoke to experts on how to counter it, using different exercise techniques.
The National Osteoporosis Foundation explains the condition as a bone disease that occurred when the body lost too much bone, made too little bone, or both.
The most common sites for bone breakdown are the upper and lower back, as well as the hip.”
Factors that may place an individual at a higher risk of having a low bone density:
- Being female, being thin or having a small frame, advanced age, having immediate family members who have osteoporosis
- Being postmenopausal and having low testosterone levels.
Factors that we can control include:
- Insufficient calcium intake, an inactive lifestyle and excessive smoking or drinking as well as the use of certain medications such as corticosteroids.
- It is recommended that all people participated in 150 minutes of moderate, or 75 minutes of vigorous, physical activity per week.
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Weight bearing exercises such as walking, light jumping and vibration exercises are a great way to improve bone density, especially in the hip joint.
Resistance training, which improves muscle strength using body weight, gym-machines, hand weights or resistance bands, she said, helped to improve the strength of the bone at the specific joint being used.
Balance exercises can also be effective in training our body awareness, and reactiveness, and therefore helps to reduce the risk of falling.
Stretching exercises are also important to improve movement in the joints and help with flexibility.
Exercises or daily activities that encourage a slouched posture or rounded shoulders should be avoided, and careful attention should be paid to the correct technique for all exercises.
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High impact exercises (plyometric or jumping with a weight) should be avoided, as well as bending of the back when loaded (sit ups with resistance, and bending to pick up heavy loads).
Exercise is one of the most effective ways to improve bone health, maintain independence and increase quality of life, in individuals with osteoporosis.