It's impossible to overstate the beneficial nature of exercise for people with osteoporosis. Without exercise, following a proper diet may have little or no effect on the disease. The right kind of osteoporosis exercise can help fill in porous bone in the areas where it is most needed, including high-risk fracture sites such as the spine, hip and wrist.
First and foremost, weight-bearing exercises should be done several times weekly in order to build bone density. Just like muscles, bones respond to being stressed during exercise by building more tissue.
These osteoporosis exercises are performed on your feet, ensuring that the bones work against gravity.
A wide array of activities is suitable:
1. Walking
2. Jogging or Running
3. Hiking
4. Stair climbing
5. Weight lifting
6. Volleyball
7. Tennis
8. Step aerobics
How Much Exercise is Enough?
Which osteoporosis exercise you choose and how much of it you do depends on the degree of bone loss you suffer from and your current activity level. Sedentary people might start with five minutes of walking three times per week, while those with very active lifestyles might sign up for one-hour sessions on the treadmill.
In general, 20-30 minutes of osteoporosis exercise four times a week is a good start, while aiming for 30 minutes to an hour daily. Avoid extremely high-impact exercise which could break bones. Resist twisting or bending the spine forward, such as with sit-ups.
Also, non weight-bearing exercises such as swimming and cycling, while beneficial to overall cardiovascular and muscle health, don’t positively impact bone density themselves. But there is some research to suggest that muscle strength and bone strength are correlated.
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