Osteoporosis causes the bones to weaken and become brittle. Your bone becomes very vulnerable and highly brittle; even a slight fall, bend, or cough can cause a dangerous fracture. Furthermore, it’s also called a silent disease because patients who have them only discover changes in their bodies until they start suffering from bone problems. Once you’re diagnosed with osteoporosis, it can be harder to perform your usual tasks, even exercising.
Fortunately, with the right treatment and workout, you can perform simple exercises that can help relieve the symptoms. Heavier and more intense exercises will need the guidance of your physical therapist. Still, you can perform light exercises that you can do by yourself with the help of your surrounding people. With this, you can continue with your daily routine with ease.
The lightest, low-impact exercise you can perform by yourself while taking Osteoporosis medications is walking. This is an example of a weight-bearing exercise that can be high-impact or low-impact. It’s a type of exercise involving your feet, with your bones supporting your whole weight, and walking does precisely the same.
Aside from that, if you have osteoporosis, you must also focus on improving your bones. When you walk, your legs support your weight, and walking will push your bones to work harder, which makes them stronger.
What you can do is practice walking briskly daily. Diligently walk for at least 30 minutes every five days of the week. You can increase the time and distance if you’re not too busy and have more energy to spare.
However, although walking can be a low-impact weight-bearing exercise, some healthcare providers don’t recommend it to their patients. Thus, before you start doing anything, consult with them first.
If you’re not much of an indoor person, you can try indoor exercises instead. A few of the best indoor exercises you can perform are yoga and pilates. Rather than the tiring walk, these two activities focus on breathing, while pilates also hits your core.
In 2009, a study presented that proper and consistent yoga helps bone density, which is the same for pilates. While practicing, you’ll be able to improve your balance, which can help prevent falls, and so you can prevent injuries and fractures. These exercises can help you increase your strength and muscle mass to support your bones.
Another exercise you can perform if you have osteoporosis is squats. This exercise involves lowering yourself from a standing position and then standing again. Squats are an excellent way to lose weight and strengthen your bones. It’s also a bone-building exercise that improves bone density and enhances your knees and ankles to help you from falling.
However, despite being a very beneficial workout, not everyone with osteoporosis can perform squats. It can sometimes be extreme for others and may take a toll on your back. Though you can start slow and steady, you can still consider seeking expert help.
A chair stand is another type of exercise you can perform at home with minimal to no supervision. It’s a good exercise that you can add to your routine to improve your workout further.
What you can do is first place your chair against a wall. Sit on the edge of the chair and bend your knees with your feet flat on the ground. Then, cross your arms and place each of them on your shoulders. With your back and shoulders straight, stand up slowly using only your legs, without the help of your hands. Then, sit down again.
In a way, it’s like a squat but with the help of a chair. It’s a safer way to work out that you can perform by yourself. So, if you’re hesitant with squats, consider a chair stand instead.
Hip extension is a type of exercise routine that targets your most prominent and strongest muscles in the body. This routine combines several daily activities, such as climbing stairs and climbing a chair.
In this routine, you usually move your leg behind you as you stand or move your body forward over your leg as you flex it in front of you. Regardless of what type you perform, it provides the same benefit of ensuring that your hip extension muscles are at work to provide the proper support for your bone needs.
What you can usually do is balance yourself by first standing at the back of a chair. Then, raise your right leg straight out behind you slowly as high as possible. Keep note to try doing this without bending your knee. After that, slowly lower your leg. Then, repeat. It’s best to consult your healthcare practitioner for more detailed guidance on how you can perform hip extension exercises better.
Osteoporosis is a severe disease if you let it take control of your life. There are still a few things that you can do to improve your situation and relieve your symptoms. By looking through the list above, you’ll better understand what you can do. If it gets too hard, don’t forget to call your healthcare provider for help.
