| You are a 40 year old female and you've just | | | | for you to do an exercise video at home or even |
| had a routine bone-density test and your doctor is | | | | put on a CD and dance around the house. No one |
| telling you that your bones are as frail as that of | | | | said that you had to have a structured routine. |
| a 75 year old. What do you do? How do you | | | | Bones don't know what you are doing for impact |
| reverse that? You've been taking the calcium | | | | they just know that they are being impacted and |
| supplement that was recommended by your | | | | that's what makes them strong. Have fun with |
| physician. What now? | | | | your exercise program. Vary it from day to day. |
| As you are leaving the doctor's office you are | | | | Try not to get in a rut of doing the same thing |
| handed a pamphlet that is titled "How to reverse | | | | over and over because your body (bones) gets |
| the onset of Osteoporosis." You clutch it in your | | | | used to doing whatever you ask of it and you |
| hand and can't wait to get home to read it. It | | | | need to shock your system every once in a while |
| talks about weight-bearing exercise. It mentions | | | | to get it to respond. |
| weigh-training. It talks about impact. The words | | | | Osteoporosis is no laughing matter. It is a very |
| are so confusing. | | | | serious condition where your bones deteriorate |
| Bones tend to degenerate when they are not | | | | and in extreme cases become lacy looking. I've |
| used, just like muscles. Today we are very | | | | known of cases where a bone is broken just by |
| sedentary because we have so many modern | | | | bending over and picking something up off the |
| conveniences that we don't ask our bones to do | | | | floor. |
| too much. The answer to reversing the affects | | | | Your doctor will go over your bone density test |
| of osteoporosis would be to be more active. Play | | | | with you and he/she will let you know in which |
| more. | | | | areas you need to be concerned. |
| Weight-bearing exercises are those that put | | | | If your area of weakness is your low back, make |
| stress on the bones (i.e. walking, jogging, slogging, | | | | sure that you do not do any spinal flexion (leaning |
| jump roping, hopping, dancing). It has been said | | | | forward from the hips). Try not to do any thing |
| that we don't stop playing because we get old; | | | | that would cause your lower back to support all |
| rather we get old because we stop playing. Use | | | | your upper body weight in a bent over position. |
| the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator. Go | | | | The added stress to the lumbar (low-back) |
| to the Mall and window shop. | | | | vertebrae might cause some real damage. |
| Try not to sit as much. Make a rule to stand and | | | | Another place that sometimes shows wear and |
| walk when you are on the phone. If you stop | | | | tear is in the hip bone. It has been documented |
| after work for groceries, park as far away from | | | | that when older people with osteoporosis of the |
| the store as you can. As a rule of thumb, create | | | | hip fall and break their hip, many don't recover. |
| more movements daily that require impact to the | | | | Exercise and stressing the bones is the best way |
| bones. | | | | to prevent and reverse osteoporosis. |
| Weight training is another term that is associated | | | | You may read the term osteopenia. This is the |
| with the prevention of Osteoporosis. When you | | | | beginning stages of osteoporosis. If you are |
| use resistance activities to activate your muscles | | | | diagnosed with osteopenia feel blessed that you |
| they become stronger and require your bones to | | | | caught it before it became a full fledged case of |
| work harder to support them. Weight training is | | | | osteoporosis. Again, the best prescription for |
| fun and can be done as a group exercise. Look | | | | osteopenia and osteoporosis is strength training, |
| for a gym that holds classes that incorporate | | | | weight bearing & impactive exercises. |
| weight training exercises. Words that might be | | | | Do more standing, walking, jumping, dancing and |
| used would be circuit, strength, or flex. | | | | playing than you do sitting. When the weather is |
| There are classes that include some aerobic | | | | good, go for a walk. Make a plan and stick to it. |
| exercise along with some strengthening | | | | Include a walk after dinner every night. It might |
| movements. If you can find one of these; you | | | | be hard to fit it in at first, but believe me, you'll |
| can get weight bearing as well as weight training | | | | become addicted and you will be so happy you |
| all in one class!! | | | | took that first step!! |
| If you are not a joiner, then it might be very fun | | | | |