fitbody
T
en million Americans suffer with
osteoporosis and another 34 million
have low bone mass and high risk for
osteoporosis, according to the National
Osteoporosis Foundation. For anyone
who has been diagnosed with osteopo-
rosis or osteopenia (low bone density
for our age, but not low enough be a
Boning Up
risk factor for fracture), it is important to
know that most likely, the bones’ ability
to develop has not been affected. We
Exercise Helps Maintain and Restore Bone Density
have simply stopped “loading” them.
The good news is that it’s unlikely
by katy Santiago
that bone density is low throughout our
body, and we can begin simple weight-
bearing exercises at any time. This
signals the bone to start growing.
Ribs, wrists, hips and the spine
are the most common places prone to
bone loss. The main reason is simply
underuse. Contemporary habits in our
culture often don’t load these joints to
their fullest potential.
Let’s take hips as an example of
a potential trouble zone. Hips are de-
signed to rotate and have a wide range
of motion. If we sit more than six hours
a day, they don’t get much movement.
This sends our body the message that
it doesn’t have to maintain as much
density as if the hips were moving in
all the patterns in which they were
designed to move.
Even if we have been exercising
regularly, but are still troubled by low
bone density, applying the following
tips will help.
Find new ways and different
directions to move.
Choose exercises that work the
body in different directions than usual.
If most workouts consist of walking, try
a changeup.
Getting off a treadmill is one way
to work new muscles. Dance classes
introduce new steps that challenge
joints in novel ways. Just walking side-
ways for one minute in each direction
each day challenges hip muscles.
Know the difference
between using weights and
weight-bearing exercise.
Even some exercise professionals
confuse these concepts. While using
34 Broward County
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