What are the best ways to exercise and improve your bone health if you have osteoporosis? Try weight-bearing workouts to build stronger bones. Talk to your doctor and make sure the workout you choose is safe for you. Then try these latest trends!
1. Tai Chi
Tai chi – a form of slow, graceful movements – builds both coordination and strong bones. A study reported in Doctor and sports medicine found that tai chi could slow bone loss in postmenopausal women. The women, who did 45 minutes of tai chi a day, 5 days a week for a year, had a rate of bone loss that was up to 3.5 times slower than those who didn’t do tai chi, according to bone mineral density tests.
2. Yoga
A study reported in Yoga diary found an increase in bone mineral density in the spine in women who regularly practiced yoga. From the slow, precise Iyengar style to the athletic, powerful ashtanga, yoga can boost the health of the bones in your hips, spine, and wrists—the bones most vulnerable to fractures.
Standing poses like Warrior I and II work the large bones of the hips and legs, while poses like Downward Dog work the wrists, arms and shoulders. Both Cobra and Locust poses, which work the back muscles, can maintain spinal health. Yoga also sharpens your balance, coordination, concentration and body awareness – thus helping to prevent falls.
3. Brisk walking
This classic workout is a great way to improve your bone health. A study of nurses found that walking four hours a week gave them a 41% lower risk of hip fracture, compared to walking less than an hour a week. Brisk walking is best, but you can adjust your speed to suit your current fitness level. Walking is free and you can do it anywhere, anytime, even when you are traveling.
4. Golf
Carrying that golf bag around 18 holes, and swinging the big clubs to hit the ball long, amounts to a lot of upper body work. And all that walking and chasing balls lost in the rough environment means a lot of work for your hips and spine.
5. Dancing
Maybe you have two left feet. No problem! Even if you’re not Fred Astaire, you can enjoy social dances like the waltz, tango, salsa, samba or east coast swing. Or you can sign up for a gentle ballet class for adults or a jazz dance class. Or Zumba or another dance-inspired aerobics class at your gym—anything that gets you moving. Many of these now combine strength training with dance or step movements – and are also good for your balance.
6. Walking
You get out into nature and experience a low-impact activity on your next walk. The work of carrying weight — and the impact when your feet hit the ground — can increase bone density, especially in your hips. You get even more impact on those bones when you go uphill or downhill. More impact on your feet and legs translates into more bone density.
And boredom is rarely a problem when walking. You can socialize in a hiking club and enjoy new landscapes.
7. Racket sports
Pickleball, tennis, squash and paddle tennis can increase your bone density. Every time you hit the ball, you’re putting strain on your racket arm, wrist and shoulder, and working your hips and spine with all that running around.
If you play singles you’ll get a lot more out of your training in terms of bone health because you’ll be running more.
8. Weight training
Lifting weights, using the weight machines at your gym, or doing calisthenics with a resistance band or your own body weight are forms of strength or resistance training. You’re working against some form of resistance to strain a range of muscles and bones. Strength train at least twice a week to stimulate bone growth.
If you’re not sure how to get started, book a session with a trainer, who can show you simple movements that you can do safely.
Take a few precautions if you already suffer from bone thinning:
- Because your fracture risk is higher than normal, you should be careful about trying exercises that can cause serious falls, such as skiing, ice skating, or inline skating.
- If you have bone thinning in your spine, you may want to refrain from deep backbends during yoga.
- Again, consult your doctor before starting a new exercise program, especially if you are taking medications that slow your coordination or interfere with your balance.
One last tip: be patient. The bone-building phase in young adults lasts – at its fastest – three to four months, and it can take much longer if you have osteoporosis or are older. So you won’t see major changes in bone density tests after the first week of training. Bones change slowly, but they do change.