Osteoporosis is a debilitating disease that is on the rise. According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, 10 million adults in the U.S. have osteoporosis, while at least 18 million are at risk of developing it. Moreover, a staggering 34 million Americans are at risk of low bone mass, which can lead to osteoporosis, which is defined as brittle and fragile bones caused by a significant loss of tissue.
There are preventative measures you can take to reduce your risk of brittle bones, such as physical exercise. Physical exercise is recommended at all times, whether you are young or old, healthy or otherwise Exercises helps to maintain your bones, keeping low bone mass and osteoporosis at bay.
However, if you already have the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis, you might be concerned that it is too late to start exercising. The key thing to remember is that it’s never too late. In addition, it’s easy to believe that exercise will only increase the likelihood of broken bones; this is just not true at all.
In fact, the opposite is true; a properly designed workout program can help to prevent easy fractures caused by falling. Exercise strengthens muscles and bones, and it also improves our flexibility and coordination, which not only reduces the risk of fractures from falling, but which can also prevent us from falling in the first place. Of course, you must always ask your doctor before starting any exercise program.
Here are some of the best exercises for osteoporosis:
Lack of time is one of the biggest reasons (or excuses) many of us avoid exercising. For this reason, exercises based around a concept called the 7 Minute Workout become your new best friend. The 7-Minute Workout is a short, rapid-fire exercise that encourages you to use your body weight.
You can get started with something you’re familiar with, such as jumping jacks (or star jumps as they are otherwise known). To do this, stand up straight with spread legs and your hands just touching above your head.
Jump and bring your legs together before putting your arms by your side. You can go fast or slow – it really depends how fit you are.
Wall Sits are remarkably easy to do and fantastic for osteoporosis.
- All you need to do is stand with your back against a wall
- Lean into the wall before sliding down slowly as though you’re about to sit into a chair while ensuring that your knees land above your ankles but bent at precisely 90 degrees
- Start in a plank position on a floor-mat, with your feet pressed together, your hands should be flat and blow your shoulders.
- Bend your elbows ever so slowly while lowering your body down gently towards the floor
- Lower it as far as you can go while making sure your back and hips stay level
- Raise your body back up and repeat for around 30 seconds or so
You can start with a really basic crunch for this one.
- Start by lying flat on your back, keeping your feet firmly planted on the floor and your knees bent
- Tighten your core before pressing your lower back down into mat while reaching with your arms towards your knees
- Return to your starting position before repeating for around 30 seconds or so
- Stand up and face a strong chair
- Step onto the chair with just your left leg before rising to do stand on it with both legs
- When you go to step down, step down with your right leg first, and follow with your left
Try to do as many as you can in around a minute.