What are the best weight bearing exercises for osteoporosis

Vital at every age for healthy bones, exercise is important for treating and preventing osteoporosis. Not only can exercise improve your bone health, it can also increase muscle strength, coordination, and balance, and lead to better overall health.

  • Why exercise?
  • The best bone building exercises
  • Exercise tips
  • A complete osteoporosis program
  • For your information

Why exercise?

Like muscle, bone is living tissue that responds to exercise by becoming stronger. Young women and men who exercise regularly generally achieve greater peak bone mass (maximum bone density and strength) than those who do not. For most people, bone mass peaks during the third decade of life. After that time, we can begin to lose bone. Women and men older than age 20 can help prevent bone loss with regular exercise. Exercising can also help us maintain muscle strength, coordination, and balance, which in turn helps to prevent falls and related fractures. This is especially important for older adults and people who have been diagnosed with osteoporosis.

The best bone building exercises

Weight-bearing and resistance exercises are the best for your bones. Weight-bearing exercises force you to work against gravity. They include walking, hiking, jogging, climbing stairs, playing tennis, and dancing. Resistance exercises – such as lifting weights – can also strengthen bones. Other exercises such as swimming and bicycling can help build and maintain strong muscles and have excellent cardiovascular benefits, but they are not the best way to exercise your bones.

Exercise tips

If you have health conditions such as heart trouble, high blood pressure, diabetes, or obesity or if you are age 40 or older, check with your doctor before you begin a regular exercise program.

According to the Surgeon General, the optimal goal is at least 30 minutes of physical activity on most days, preferably daily.

Listen to your body. When starting an exercise routine, you may have some muscle soreness and discomfort at the beginning, but this should not be painful or last more than 48 hours. If it does, you may be working too hard and need to ease up. Stop exercising if you have any chest pain or discomfort, and see your doctor before your next exercise session.

If you have osteoporosis, ask your doctor which activities are safe for you. If you have low bone mass, experts recommend that you protect your spine by avoiding exercises or activities that flex, bend, or twist it. Furthermore, you should avoid high-impact exercise to lower the risk of breaking a bone. You also might want to consult with an exercise specialist to learn the proper progression of activity, how to stretch and strengthen muscles safely, and how to correct poor posture habits. An exercise specialist should have a degree in exercise physiology, physical education, physical therapy, or a similar specialty. Be sure to ask if he or she is familiar with the special needs of people with osteoporosis.

A complete osteoporosis program

Remember, exercise is only one part of an osteoporosis prevention or treatment program. Like a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D, exercise helps strengthen bones at any age. But proper exercise and diet may not be enough to stop bone loss caused by medical conditions, menopause, or lifestyle choices such as tobacco use and excessive alcohol consumption. It is important to speak with your doctor about your bone health. Discuss whether you might be a candidate for a bone mineral density test. If you are diagnosed with low bone mass, ask what medications might help keep your bones strong.

The National Institutes of Health Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases ~ National Resource Center acknowledges the assistance of the National Osteoporosis Foundation in the preparation of this publication.

For your information

For updates and for any questions about any medications you are taking, please contact:

U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Toll Free: 888-INFO-FDA (888-463-6332)
Website: https://www.fda.gov

For additional information on specific medications, visit Drugs@FDA at https://ww.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/daf. Drugs@FDA is a searchable catalog of FDA-approved drug products.

NIH Pub. No. 18-7879-E

When you have osteoporosis, exercise can be an important component of strengthening your bones as well as reducing your risks for falls through balance exercise. But before you begin any exercise program, it’s important to get your doctor’s approval first. Your doctor will be able to help point you to what exercises are best for you depending on your condition, your age, and other physical constraints.

While most types of exercise are good for you, not all types are good for healthy bones. For example, weight-bearing exercises can build healthy bone. These exercises involve challenging your muscle strength against gravity and putting pressure on your bones. As a result, your bones will signal your body to produce added tissue to build stronger bones. Exercises such as walking or swimming may be beneficial to your lung and heart health but won’t necessarily help you strengthen your bones.

Anyone with osteoporosis who’s looking to increase their bone strength can benefit from the following eight exercises. These exercises are easy to do at home.

1. Foot stomps

The goal for exercise to reduce osteoporosis is to challenge the key areas of your body that osteoporosis most commonly affects, such as your hips. One way to challenge your hip bones is through foot stomps.

  • While standing, stomp your foot, imagining you
    are crushing an imaginary can underneath it.
  • Repeat four times on one foot, then repeat the
    exercise on the other foot.
  • Hold
    on to a railing or sturdy piece of furniture if you have difficulty maintaining
    your balance.

2. Bicep curls

You can perform bicep curls with either dumbbells weighing between 1 to 5 pounds or a resistance band. They can be performed seated or standing, depending on what you’re most comfortable with.

  • Take a dumbbell in each hand. Or step on a
    resistance band while holding an end in each hand.
  • Pull the bands or weights in toward your chest,
    watching the bicep muscles on the fronts of your upper arms contract.
  • Lower your arms to return to your starting position.
  • Repeat eight to 12 times. Rest and repeat for a
    second set, if possible.

3. Shoulder lifts

You’ll also need weights or a resistance band to perform shoulder lifts. You can do this exercise from either a standing or seated position.

  • Take a dumbbell in each hand. Or step on a
    resistance band while holding an end in each hand.
  • Start with your arms down and hands at your
    sides.
  • Slowly raise your arms out straight in front of
    you, but don’t lock your elbow.
  • Lift to a comfortable height, but no higher than
    shoulder level.
  • Repeat eight to 12 times. Rest and repeat for a
    second set, if possible.

4. Hamstring curls

Hamstring curls strengthen the muscles in the backs of your upper legs. You perform this exercise from a standing position. If necessary, place your hands on a piece of heavy furniture or other sturdy item to improve your balance.

  • Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
    Slightly move back your left foot until only your toes are touching the floor.
  • Contract the muscles in the back of your left leg
    to lift your left heel toward your buttocks.
  • Slowly control your left foot as you lower it
    back to its starting position.
  • Repeat the exercise between eight and 12 times.
    Rest, and repeat the exercise on your right leg.

5. Hip leg lifts

This exercise strengthens the muscles around your hips as well as enhances your balance. Place your hands on a piece of heavy furniture or other sturdy item to improve your balance as needed.

  • Start with your feet hip-width apart. Shift your
    weight to your left foot.
  • Flex your right foot and keep your right leg
    straight as you lift it to the side, no more than 6 inches off the ground.
  • Lower your right leg.
  • Repeat the leg lift eight to 12 times. Return to
    your starting position and do another set using your left leg.

6. Squats

Squats can strengthen the front of your legs as well as your buttocks. You don’t have to squat deeply for this exercise to be effective.

  • Start with your feet hip-width apart. Rest your
    hands lightly on a sturdy piece of furniture or counter for balance.
  • Bend at your knees to slowly squat down. Keep
    your back straight and lean slightly forward, feeling your legs working.
  • Squat only until your thighs are parallel to the
    ground.
  • Tighten your buttocks to return to a standing
    position.
  • Repeat this exercise eight to 12 times.

7. Ball sit

This exercise can promote balance and strengthen your abdominal muscles. It should be performed with a large exercise ball. You should also have someone with you to act as a “spotter” to help you maintain your balance.

  • Sit on the exercise ball with your feet flat on
    the floor.
  • Keep your back as straight as possible while you
    maintain your balance.
  • If you are able, hold your arms out at your
    sides, palms facing forward.
  • Hold the position as long as one minute, if
    possible. Stand and rest. Repeat the exercise up to two more times.

8. Standing on one leg

This exercise promotes greater balance.

  • With a sturdy piece of furniture nearby if you
    need to grab onto something, stand on one foot for one minute, if possible.
  • Repeat the balance exercise on your other leg.

As important as it is to know what exercises can help you, it’s just as important to know which you shouldn’t do. Some activities, like hiking, jumping rope, climbing, and running, simply put too much demand on your bones and increase the risk of fractures. Known as high-impact exercises, they can place too great a strain on your spine and hips as well as increase your risk for falls. They’re best avoided unless you’ve participated in them for some time.

Exercises that involve bending forward or rotating the trunk of your body, such as situps and playing golf, also increase your risk for osteoporosis fractures.

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What is the best exercise to increase bone density?

Weight-bearing and resistance exercises are the best for your bones. Weight-bearing exercises force you to work against gravity. They include walking, hiking, jogging, climbing stairs, playing tennis, and dancing. Resistance exercises – such as lifting weights – can also strengthen bones.

What is the fastest way to increase bone density?

Weight-bearing exercises, such as walking, jogging, and climbing stairs, can help you build strong bones and slow bone loss.

Can you reverse osteoporosis with weight training?

Regardless of being male, female or your goals, weight training has proven benefits of preventing or reversing Osteoporosis.