Exercise is great for muscles and your heart. But exercise helps your bones also. In fact, exercising has several effects on bone. Physical activity benefits bones and muscles at every age! Whereas a lack of activities causes bone loss and muscle wasting. Therefore, increasing the risk of fractures. Studies show physical activity preserves bone mineral density. This reduces the risk
Exercising regularly before age 40 reduces the risk of fractures. It also reduces the chances of falling in seniors.
Precautions to Take With Exercise
Physical activity is beneficial for bone health. But, there are precautions that elderly people need to take. Osteoporosis weakens bones. This means care must be taken with exercise. You should avoid sports with a high risk of severe injury. This includes ice skating, skiing, and mountain biking. Anyone at risk for osteoporotic fracture also needs to avoid certain activities. Bending of the spine and carrying objects can injure the spine. Muscle strengthening, balance, and coordination exercises are recommended. Seek professional help with an exercise program for maximum benefits. Supervised and targeted exercising strengthens bones. Plus, it also prevents fractures. As a matter of fact, seniors with improper balance should have exercise supervised.
What Exercise Helps Your Bones Best?
Studies have found that specific exercises increase bone mineral density, such as:
- High-intensity resistance training
- High impact exercise (jumping)
- High-intensity weight-bearing aerobic activity
In addition to this, there are other factors to remember. How exercise affects bone health is very important. So, you need to know which exercise to perform. Vigorous exercise produces better effects. In fact, brisk walking reduces fracture risk by 41%! Casual walking is not as beneficial, though. However, bone cells are stimulated by quick bursts of activity. So, rapid periods of high-intensity activity is recommended. And, aerobics is only beneficial if it is also weight-bearing.
Quickly lifting heavy weights is beneficial. And lighter weights at a slower pace have proven to be less effective. Then there is Resistance training, which is a bone-strengthening beneficial exercise. This is because your muscles need to be targeted too. And Specifically, those attached to bones at risk for fracture.
Fall Prevention
Exercise can help with fall prevention. Daily programs should include balance and strength training. Then, weight-bearing exercises to improve balance and strength. This reduces falls by 25 to 50% in seniors! Also, Tai Chi is a highly effective form of exercise for fall prevention. This is especially beneficial for healthy older adults. Any exercise programs should also support cognitive function, though. In fact, falls are linked with reduced task performance. Being able to do two tasks at once reduces fall risk. Programs that support cognitive, bone, and muscle health provide the most benefits.
If you need assistance in exercising for healthier bones, call us at 888-409-8006. Our trained physical therapists are happy to help.