If you have osteoporosis, getting physically active is one of the last things that will cross your mind. This condition can hamper a person’s physical activities that most of them don’t want to make an effort of exercising any more. In fact, if you are one of the unlucky ones, you may think that exercise can actually lead you to fracture your bones. On the contrary, moving your muscles is a good way to protect your bones as the activity can help improve your bone’s strength.
So what are the proper exercises that can help you out? Here are 5 good osteoporosis exercises to try:
1. Flexibility exercises
These allow a full range of motion for your joints which helps in maintaining good balance and preventing injury to your muscles. These are best performed at the end of your workout session as your muscles are already warmed up.
2. Stability and balance exercises
These type of exercises help you muscles work together making you more stable which prevents falls. Standing on one leg or doing exercises based on movement like tai chi help a lot in improving balance and stability.
3. Strength-training exercises
Activities that fall under these include using free weights, weight machines and water exercises. All of these help strengthen the bones and muscles in your arms and upper spine. Other than that, these also help slow down mineral loss in your bones.
4. Weight-bearing aerobic exercises
These include dancing, walking, stair climbing, low-impact aerobics and even gardening. These work on your hips, lower spine and leg bones to reduce mineral loss. Apart from that, they also have cardiovascular benefits that improve heart and circulatory health.
5. Yoga or pilates
Both of these help a lot when it comes to lengthening and stretching. However, caution must be exercised so you don’t cause more harm. Even better, you should ask your doctor whether you can be referred to a physical therapist for assistance.
As you can see, you can still stay fit even with a bone-weakening disorder. So, what are you waiting for? Stay in shape with these 5 good osteoporosis exercises.