Starting a Program for Bone Health FitnessA

23 Aug, 2013

n effective exercise program for bone health includes 30 minutes of weight-bearing activity, four or more days a week. To help you stay motivated, choose an activity that you enjoy. There are many activities that will get you on your feet and moving. These are the best legal steroids.

Your 30 minutes of exercise can be done all in one stretch or broken up into shorter intervals. A 10-minute brisk walk three times a day is a great way to get started.

If it is not safe to walk outside, walking throughout your house, climbing stairs indoors and even walking in place are all great weight-bearing exercises.

To really reap the benefits of exercise, you need to add flexibility and balance training to the mix. All exercise sessions should end with stretching. Increasing your flexibility improves your ability to move easily, can reduce your risk for injury, and provides mental relaxation benefits. Read more about alpilean.

Before choosing an activity, it is important to consider your risk of falling. Your doctor and a physical therapist can help you plan your exercise program. People with severe osteoporosis should be careful weightlifting with their arms while standing upright to avoid excessive spine compression (10-20 pounds may be safe). They should also avoid exercises that bend or twist the spine. Similarly, stationary bikes and rowing machines are not the best options for those with severe osteoporosis and contact sports should be avoided. Chair and corner wall exercises can be a safer alternative.

Age and Bone Health Fitness

Adolescents and Young Adults

Building strong bones begins in childhood. The best time to build bone density is during years of rapid growth. We essentially develop the skeleton that must last our lifetime when we are between the ages of 10 and 18 years old. Our peak bone mass in maximum strength and density is achieved in our late twenties.

Weight-bearing exercise during the teen years is essential to reach maximum bone strength. A teen's physical activity should include 20 to 30 minutes of weight-bearing exercise at least 3 to 4 days each week. These are the very best weight loss pills.

Adults

Once we reach the age of about 25, physical activity alone can no longer increase overall bone mass dramatically. In adults, bone density may increase 1-2 %, but this increase occurs only in the area of the skeleton that is stressed and this improved density will be lost if the loading exercise isn’t continued. However, exercise can prevent or slow bone loss, maintain muscle mass to preserve and strengthen surrounding bone, and decrease the risk of falling. Both men and women also need good nutrition, calcium, and Vitamin D to preserve their bone mass.

Women and some men in middle age may require hormonal supplementation (estrogens or androgens) to improve or maintain bone mass as they age. For older people, however, these hormones are generally not recommended. Typically, for older people with significantly weakened bone, bone-preserving or bone-building medications are better options.

In elderly adults, falls often result in fractures with long-term consequences that may include permanent disability. The most common breaks in older people occur in the wrist, spine, and hip.

Balance training and tai chi have been shown to decrease falls by 47% and reduce the risk of hip fracture by approximately 25%. In addition, men who participate in vigorous physical exercise tend to have a lower risk of hip fracture.

Body Weight and Bone Health

When people lose weight, they also lose bone. Low body weight at any age is associated with a greater risk for bone problems and fractures.

Very low body weight has increased consequences for women. Sports and exercise are healthy activities for girls and women of all ages. However, a female athlete who focuses on being thin may eat too little or exercise too much. The result may be long-term health problems and bone damage.

If young women exercise excessively, they can lose enough weight to cause hormonal changes that stop menstrual periods (amenorrhea). This loss of estrogen — the hormone that is necessary for maintaining bone mass — can cause bone loss at a time when young women should be adding to their peak bone mass.

A woman who misses several menstrual periods, sustains a stress fractures in sports, continuously focuses on her weight, or has a distorted body image should see her doctor right away.

About the author

Ryan Jones

Ryan works to strategically plan the company’s direction; in addition to serving as editor-in-chief. Raised in Montreal, Canada, Jones grew up in an automotive family as a second generation car fanatic, his father being a former ISCA competitor (1950 Mercury). As the apple did not fall far from the tree , Jones has worked on numerous show cars including his own Honda Civic which has been honored with a variety of trophies. In addition to IntunedOnline, Ryan has worked in account and operations management supporting and a variety of Fortune 500 clients.

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