Osteoporosis – What should I do?

What is Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is a degenerative condition that affects the bones, it is where the bones are breaking down faster than that can rebuild. Osteoporosis is 4 times more common in females than males. Our bone density often changes as we age and become more at risk however other things can impact our likelihood of getting this condition these include: medications particularly corticosteroids and chemotherapy drugs, early menopause, your calcium and vitamin D levels and your lifestyle factors particularly how physically active you are. Having osteoporosis puts you at a much higher risk for bone fractures which as we age become more impactful on our day to day life and our health.

Why is exercise important?

Exercise is important to help both prevent and treat osteoporosis and mostly strength or resistance training is the most important. When we participate in strength training we load the bones and help stimulate the rebuilding of bone tissue. From this we generate higher bone density and are much more protected against being diagnosed with osteoporosis and reducing the decline once diagnosed. Exercise also helps with our balance thus reducing our falls risk if we have been diagnosed and reducing the likelihood of fall related fractures.

So what should I do?

If you have risk factors or even if you don’t you should complete some sort of strength training. This doesn’t mean it has to be weights and heavy stuff you can use household items or your body as resistance. If you are a female its important to partake in strength training to help prevent osteoporosis especially during and post-menopausal women. If you have been diagnosed it’s important to seek the advice of an exercise physiologist and have provided the correct exercises to slow the progression and/or reverse the condition.

If you have questions please give us a call (02) 4016 4446, shoot an email to our team or come on in and see us!