Everybody needs an exercise program to prevent osteoporosis.
The saying "use it or lose it" holds true for muscle and
bones. Thousands of studies now document that bone grows in strength
according to the strain put upon it. Even those who just walk for
exercise have a lower incidence of hip fractures than those who
do not regularly walk. On the other hand, for those who can't walk,
even simple exercises done from a wheel chair have been found to
help build bone mass. While even one-half hour of walking daily
will help halt bone loss, more rigorous weight-bearing exercise
is required to begin rebuilding bone density.
For the more physically fit and ambitious, a one hour workout
combining aerobic exercise and weight training, done three times
a week, can yield significant benefits in terms of increased bone
density and fracture reduction. Dr. Dalsky from the University
of Washington found that exercising women could gain as much as
5.2% spinal mineral bone density in nine months. Dr. Dalsky has
developed a successful bone building exercise program to prevent
osteoporosis; for a summary please click on the link below. More
details on how to develop your own exercise program to prevent
osteoporosis may be found in our book, Better
Bones, Better Body.
Related Links:
Exercising into Bone Health
Better Bones, Better Body
Extracted from our book, Better
Bones Better Body (Keats 2000) by our Director, Susan E. Brown,
Ph.D., CCN
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