Health And Wealth November 9
Osteoporosis and Exercise
At 55-years-old, my mother was inches taller than my own 5-ft-2 inch stature.
Now, 20 years later, my eyes could gaze over her head effortlessly. Had I grown? No.
The effects of osteoporosis and degenerating discs had taken its toll on mother�s frame. Not only had she shrunk about eight inches, but the bottom of her rib cage rested on her pelvis.
Now, nearly 55-years-old myself, I�m fighting to not have a repeat performance. I make time for exercise in my weekly schedule, work with my doctor to find the right medication, and know that calcium in my diet is a must.
Last week (in this column) you learned about the risks contributing to osteoporosis and the effects of the condition on your body.
Minimizing the effects of osteoporosis does take some conscious effort, but it�s well worth it if you intend to take care of the body you�ve been given.
As with many conditions and all lifestyle diseases, treatment boils down to exercise, diet, stress management, and possibly some help with medication. Our intent this week is to give you some knowledge to make your discipline of exercise enjoyable and your results effective.
Osteoporosis is preventable, detectable, and treatable.
Exercise is one component of prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Exercise can prevent or reverse bone loss in the spine and hip at a rate of one percent per year, according to studies sited in �Osteoporosis Prevention�, Physical Therapy Products J/F 2001.
�Prevention starts early on - before age 10 - before the body experiences its maximum bone growth in adolescence,� says Sara Meeks, PT, MS, GCS and co-chair of the Special Interest Group on Osteoporosis. �Children should have plenty of free play, running, jumping, and getting plenty of varying weight bearing forces and stress on the bones.�
What kind of exercise is best for adults? Good options are walking, jogging, stair climbing, dancing, racket sports, and jumping rope.
Choose your favorite weight bearing activity or do a combination for a minimum of 30 to 60 minutes, three to five times a week, at a pace that you feel is moderately hard to hard. Weight training or strengthening exercises similarly put positive stress on the bones of the arms, shoulder girdle, chest, legs, and back. They should be done 2 to 3 times per week.
Effective weight training should include a weight that will fatigue the muscle in 10 to 12 repetitions while maintaining good form and body alignment. Ask your exercise professional for specific guidelines.
A word of caution to younger women: exercising too much may change your menstrual cycle and lower hormone levels causing you to lose the natural protection hormones provide against bone loss. Balance is the key.
If you already have osteoporosis, more precaution is necessary. Ask your exercise professional for safe effective isometric abdominal strengthening.
Twisting and forward flexion motions associated with recreational sports such as tennis and golf may also place undue stress on the spine.
After age 35, we all lose some bone mass. As we get older the focus of exercise should move from strictly prevention of bone loss to maintaining strength. Hand in hand with strengthening exercise is postural training.
Good posture takes strength to accomplish and develops strength just by moving in good alignment. Adequate strength also helps relieve pain associated with poor posture.
Another benefit of therapeutic exercise is balance. Strength improves balance. Balance reduces falls. Absence of falls reduces fracture risk. It�s an upward spiral of positive living beginning with exercise.
Be responsible for your health. Work with your doctor to find out if you have osteoporosis or a high risk of fractures. Ask your physical therapist, or personal trainer who has expertise in exercise for osteoporosis to guide you in an effective exercise program designed for you and your specific needs.
Without preventive measures, �a women at age 50 has a 40 percent chance of experiencing an osteoporotic fracture sometime during her remaining lifetime.�
Without treatment, posture suffers, a painful �dowager�s hump� develops, you can�t stand straight, you look older, actually become shorter, and your clothes don�t fit!
Hopefully you�ve identified your personal reason to get up and move and prevent osteoporosis. My children already tower over me (I never was very tall). If I get any shorter, they may miss me all together! So I�ll see you on the treadmill and in the weight room.
Mary Holm is a physical therapist with 32 years experience in a variety of professional settings including acute hospital physical therapy, general practice outpatient therapy, homecare and wellness. For the past 20 years she has owned the Fitness Forum in Plymouth with her husband, Dr. Byron Holm
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