Learn How Exercise Can Help Keep Osteoporosis at Bay

Bones are resilient structures, but in some individuals, they can start to become brittle and more prone to breaking – this condition is referred to as osteoporosis. A number of different factors contribute to this condition, ranging from genetics, malnutrition, hormonal levels, illnesses and lack of exercise.

What causes it?

While there isn’t much you can do if osteoporosis is caused by genetic factors, you can always look for ways and means of strengthening your bones while you are younger. This will keep them healthy and strong even when you are older and this can help keep osteoporosis at bay. Bone loss caused by osteoporosis is generally the result of two different processes:

• Loss of bone mineral density and loss of bone mineral content
• Changes in the bone’s microarchitecture

Read further to learn more about what you can do to keep osteoporosis at bay.

How to keep osteoporosis at bay

#1 Focus on building as much bone as possible in your younger years

Research indicates that one of the best ways to have stronger bones in your old age is to optimise bone strength when you are younger. When you achieve a higher bone mass in your growing years, it helps reduce the risk of osteoporosis and fractures later in life. Some of the steps that kids need to follow to build stronger bones are:

#2 Engage in impact sports

Many studies have shown that young children that involve themselves in sports such as basketball, running, ballet etc. have much higher bone density than children that are more sedentary or don’t participate in these active, outdoor sports. This is because mechanical forces from all the activity and impact help in stimulating the bones which in turn increase the mineral content in the bone and its resultant density.

It’s also very important to have a diet high in phosphorous and magnesium as these are the building blocks of bone. Vitamin D is extremely important for the calcium to be absorbed by the body. Spend as much time as possible outdoors to get your daily shot of Vitamin D from the sun.

#3 Continue exercising throughout your life

Just as it’s important for children to be active and do some form of impact activity, it’s equally important for adults to continue doing some impact sport right through their lives. These sports help maintain healthy bone density. Most people feel a little intimidated when they hear the term impact sports and feel that it means they have to take up some sport like football or basketball.

You can also include activities such as dancing, walking, weight training, step classes etc and all of these can go a long way in improving the strength and density of your bones. In fact, there is research which indicates that people who swim regularly also have much stronger bones. While it doesn’t help in increasing the bone mineral density, it does change the bone’s internal structure, which helps the bones resist torsion and bending forces in a better way.

The role of physiotherapy

If you have suffered any bone injury while indulging in any activity and are recuperating from it, your doctor may recommend that you go for regular physiotherapy sessions till you achieve normal range of motion. It’s important that you look for a good, well-established physiotherapy centre that would be able to tailor the physiotherapy sessions to suit your specific needs.

We at Insync Physiotherapy have skilled and experienced physiotherapists on board and can provide excellent treatments and care. For any more information on the different types of services we provide, feel free to contact us on 02 9569 5145. You can also send us your queries via this online form.

Thanks for reading,
Insync Physiotherapy Team
02 9569 5145