Michelle Aultman with Exercising Tips to Prevent Weak Bones
It is time to take a break from the fitness topics in Auburn, WA and reach out all the way to California. Here today is Michelle Aultman from "Elliptical Machines Blog". I have a bigger appreciation now for such a topic after working out and losing weight. This new information is perfect timing for me as I start again on June 3rd at the Biggest Loser VII.
Michelle Aultman is the guest blogger today and helps you with exercise tips:
Give me 5 mins and I'll give you a few exercising tips to prevent weak bones
Approximately ten million Americans have osteoporosis, and another 34 million have low bone mass (osteopenia).
A disease without symptoms, osteoporosis affects about 20 percent of men and 80 percent of women.
The bones gradually become weaker, they may break by a minor fall or, if left untreated, even from simple things like a sneeze.
The commonest fracture sites are hip, wrist and spine, although any bone in your body could be affected.
A diagnosis of osteopenia or osteoporosis tend to be scary, leading a number of people to avoid exercise because of fear it will cause fractures.
The truth is that people with low bone mass should make sure to exercise on a regular basis.
Being active is shown to not merely assist in preventing osteoporosis, but slow bone loss once it has already begun.
Before beginning a workout program, you will need to check with your doctor for guidelines, as degree of bone loss determines how much exercise is best.
Physicians can assess density of bone and fracture risk by scanning the body with a special type of X-ray machine.
In conjunction with exercise, treatment may include dietary modifications and/or estrogen replacement therapy.
The more knowledge you get about this condition, the more you can do to help prevent its onset.
To build strength and bone mass, both weight-bearing and resistance training exercises are ideal.
Weight-bearing exercises are the ones that require the bones to fully support your weight against gravity.
Examples are walking, jogging, stair climbing, dancing or using an elliptical machine.
Non-weight bearing exercises include biking, swimming, water aerobics and rowing.
Weight-bearing activities like walking less than 3 x a week will manage to benefit the bones.
Resistance training places mechanical force (stress) on our bodies that might increases density of bone.
Start by lifting light weights, moving in a slow and controlled manner, increasing resistance when you become stronger.
It's always recommended that people with osteoporosis avoid the following types of activity:
* Step aerobics and high-impact activities including running, jumping, tennis.
* Activities that involve rounding, bending and twisting of the spine.
* Moving the legs sideways or across the body, specially when performed against resistance.
* Rowing machines, trampolines.
* Every movement that involves pulling on the head and neck.
Exercise Tips:
* Even if you do not have osteoporosis, you need to talk with your medical provider before you begin a workout program.
* Remember to warm-up before beginning and cool-down at the conclusion of each exercise session.
* For the best benefit to your bone health, combine several different weight-bearing exercises.
* As you build strength, increase resistance, or weights, instead of repetitions.
* Make sure to drink a lot of water whenever exercising.
* Vary the types of exercise that you do each week.
* Combine weight bearing and resistance exercise with aerobic exercises to help you improve your general health.
* Bring your friend along to help you keep going or in addition to this, bring your family and encourage them to be healthy.
* Add more exercise to your day; take the stairs vs. the elevator, park further way, and walk to your co-worker's office rather than emailing.
Put LIVE into action!
L - Load or weight-bearing exercises make a difference for your bones
I - Intensity builds stronger bones.
V - Vary the types of exercise as well as your routine to keep interested.
E - Enjoy your exercises. Make exercise fun so you will continue into the future!
Specific factors raise the probability of developing osteoporosis. While some of these risk factors are controllable, others won't be.
Risk factors that may be controlled are:
- Sedentary lifestyle, excess intake of protein, sodium.
- Caffeine and/or alcohol, smoking, calcium and Vitamin D deficiencies and taking certain medicines.
- Body size (small frame), gender, family history and ethnicity are risk factors that cannot be controlled.
- Women can lose about 20 percent of their bone mass in the five to seven years after menopause, which makes them more vulnerable to osteoporosis.
It is never too soon to start considering bone mineral density.
- About 85-90 percent of adult bone mass is acquired by age 18 in girls and 20 in boys.
- Nutrition and Exercise for Healthy Bones in childhood and Adolescence.
- Much of the reserve of healthy bone is built in youth and before the age of 30.
- Women can be more subject to an inadequate foundation process at this time than men.
- Sufficient calcium intake,a balanced diet with plenty of fruit and veggies and load-bearing exercise are the secrets of solid bone growth when you're young. Then, with continued exercise into old age -- and this benefits men as well -- bone density decline can be kept to a minimum.
Although women are the main focus of data about osteoporosis and low bone density (osteopenia), some men are also seriously afflicted by this problem.
In case you do all the right things while growing up and into adulthood, your inherited characteristics "your genes" can present you with bones that are susceptible to osteoporosis. This is even greater reason to maximize your lifestyle to prevent poor bone health.
About Michelle Aultman
Michelle writes for the elliptical workout for fat loss blog, her personal hobby blog centered on ideas to prevent osteoporosis through home fitness.
Writer's note: The information provided on this document are designed to support, not substitute, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her health practitioner.
Michelle Aultman has no business intent and does not accept direct source of promotion coming from health or pharmaceutical firms, doctors or clinics and websites. All content provided by her is based on her editorial common sense and is not driven by an advertising and marketing purpose.
How helpful was this information from Michelle? How will it change what you do?
