Exercise is essential if you have osteoporosis because it helps strengthen your muscles and bones. It also helps prevent bone loss, increase bone density, improve balance, and reduce the risk of falls and fractures.
“Exercise can prevent bone wear and tear. Osteocytes are cells that live in your bones and are stimulated when you exercise, which helps form new bone tissue,” says Elaine Yu, MD, director of the Bone Density Center at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Osteoporosis Exercise Routines
Several exercises benefit your bone health if you have osteoporosis.
Some of the most recommended are:
Strength training. Focus on the upper back. Use free weights, resistance bands, or your own body weight to build stronger muscles, tendons, and bones.
Weight-bearing aerobic exercise (cardio). Standing activities help slow bone loss in your legs, hips, and lower spine. You can walk, dance, do low-impact aerobics, use the elliptical, climb stairs, or garden.
Flexibility exercises. Moving your joints keeps your muscles active. Try squats or leg curls against the wall, using your body weight as resistance.
Stability and balance exercises. These improve muscle coordination. You can practice standing on one leg or do movement exercises, such as tai chi.
“An 85-year-old patient with mobility issues needs a different exercise routine than a 65-year-old patient with no prior complaints,” Yu says.
It’s essential to consult with your doctor before starting any exercise routine, as treatment should be personalized.
Add Exercise to Your Daily Routine
There are many ways to exercise without feeling like you’re training for a marathon. With a few adjustments, your daily routines can count as exercise:
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
- Do chair squats while watching your favorite show.
- Extend your walks if you have a pet.
- Join a community walking group.
- Dance at social gatherings (without overdoing spins or turns).
- Stand on one leg while doing the dishes, then switch legs.
Movements to Avoid With Osteoporosis
There are different degrees of osteoporosis, and each has its own safe routines. It’s recommended that you avoid:
- Exercises that make you bend forward
- Exercises that make you lean to one side or twist your torso
Yoga and Pilates can help you stretch your muscles, but avoid poses that involve forward bends, side bends, or twists.
“A patient with osteoporosis of the spine should practice yoga with an instructor familiar with the condition to avoid certain poses that put pressure on the spine,” Yu says.
Common Myths About Exercise and Osteoporosis
There are many myths about osteoporosis and exercise. But research shows that staying active helps you strengthen and even rebuild your bones.
Some of the most common myths are:
Myth: “If you have osteoporosis, you should rest your bones, not move them.”
Reality: Exercise activates bone cells (osteocytes) that help rebuild tissue. It also improves your balance and strengthens the muscles that support your bones.
Myth: “Only white women have osteoporosis.”
Reality: White and Asian women are at a higher risk of developing osteoporosis, and so are Hispanic women. However, the truth is that it can affect people of all races. In fact, 1 in 2 women and 1 in 4 men over 50 will develop osteoporosis. It can also affect younger people.
Myth: “Walking or dancing is not exercising.”
Reality: Walking and dancing are cardio activities that doctors recommend to help slow bone loss.
Myth: “If nothing hurts, you don’t need to take action.”
Reality: Osteoporosis is known as “the silent disease” because it is usually not diagnosed until pain or fractures occur. Early diagnosis can help delay its progression.
Myth: “There’s no need to exercise if you’re an older adult.”
Reality: On the contrary, the older you are, the weaker your bones and muscles become, and the more critical it is to keep active for your overall health and to help prevent bone loss and osteoporosis.
Show Sources
Photo Credit: E+/Getty Images
SOURCES:
Elaine Yu, MD, director, Bone Density Center, Massachusetts General Hospital..
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases: “Exercise for your bone health.”
Mayo Clinic: “Exercising with osteoporosis: Stay active the safe way,” “Osteoporosis.”
Cleveland Clinic: “The best workouts for osteoporosis.”
Johns Hopkins Medicine: “Osteoporosis.”
Stanford Medicine: “Juvenile Osteoporosis.”
Baptist Health Orthopedic Care: “Early Detection of Osteoporosis: Why It Matters for Postmenopausal Women.”
