Living with Osteoporosis: 8 Exercises to Strengthen Your Bones

Bones are living tissues that constantly break down and form. In younger people, the bone formation process is quick enough to keep up with the breakdown mechanism. However, as you age, the new bone-creation process may slow down and cause osteoporosis. Osteoporosis weakens bones and makes them brittle to the extent that even a minor fall, coughing, or bending can cause bone breakage.

If you’ve been living with osteoporosis, we can understand the pain you must be going through. However, the question is, why live with osteoporosis when you can work to strengthen your bones with some exercises? While the individual suitability of every exercise varies with the person, let’s look at eight generic ones.

8 Generic Exercises to Perform When You Have Osteoporosis

Your bones need strength across all ages. Healthier bones can simplify movements and help you live an effortless and mobile life. However, osteoporosis can cause bones to lose their strength and affect your life. So, here are some exercises you can perform when you are suffering from osteoporosis.

• Weight-Bearing Exercises

Working against gravity helps you build bone density. Accordingly, performing weight-bearing exercises like dancing, hiking, walking, jogging, and stair climbing can help you build bone density and strengthen it. Of course, it will take time and demand a consistent effort under expert supervision. However, over a while, you will feel a visible difference in your bone health.

• Strength Training

Another way of increasing bone density and strength is indulging in resistance exercises with weights. Get a proper and personalized strength training plan designed by a doctor and fitness expert who would include exercises like lunges, squats, and bicep curls to focus on prominent muscle groups.

• Flexibility Exercises

Bone flexibility is as crucial as its strength. While bone strength helps you stay firm, flexibility helps you avoid injuries and maintain excellent mobility. Accordingly, you can perform various stretching exercises that enhance flexibility, especially across areas like hips, spine, and shoulders that have to be moved frequently while performing different routine actions.

• Yogasan

Yogasan is one of India’s most significant contributions to humankind. It is a set of practices that promote outer and inner well-being. Thus, engaging in Yogasan under expert supervision can help you enhance flexibility, balance, and strength. It can help you prevent falls and potential fractures. Consult an expert to know what type of poses can suit your body type to avoid injuries and optimize the benefits of performing Yogasan for osteoporosis.

• Tai Chi

Most of you must have heard about Tai Chi. However, for those who haven’t, Tai Chi is a gentle martial art form involving slow, flowing movements and deep breathing. When performed appropriately, the exercise can contribute to improved balance, enhanced coordination, and increased strength. All these factors can help you avoid falls and injuries that follow – a very common fear or occurrence in people suffering from osteoporosis!

• Resistance Band Exercises

Resistance band exercises are as effective as weight-bearing ones. Although they aren’t necessarily an alternative to weight-bearing exercises, you may do them if you aren’t comfortable with lifting weights. Besides, resistance bands are portable and versatile. You can use them to perform various strength-building exercises. Resistance bands can help you target small muscle groups in particular and enhance joint stability in the long run.

• Balance Exercises

As mentioned above, weakened bones affect balance, and that, in turn, leads to falls. In osteoporosis, bones weaken to the degree that even a simple fall can lead to a major injury. Hence, you should also focus on performing balance exercises like heel-to-toe walking, standing on one leg, and stability ball balancing. Of course, all these exercises should be performed under expert supervision.

• Pilates

Another effective form of exercise for osteoporosis is Pilates. These are exercises that focus on building core strength, enhancing stability, and improving flexibility. Accordingly, performing Pilates regularly can enhance your posture and prevent falls. Consult an expert to know what exercises to include in your Pilates routine so that, along with others, you also focus on strengthening the weaker areas.

Visit Ranka Hospital if you or your loved ones are suffering from osteoporosis. Our expert doctors will diagnose your case and design a personalized treatment to help you steadily strengthen your bones, improve balance, increase flexibility, and drive a visible difference in your overall condition.

Call us at +91 – 20 – 24261530 to schedule an appointment.