Osteoporosis Awareness & Prevention Month

May is osteoporosis awareness and prevention month! Osteoporosis is a condition where bone breaks down faster than it can regenerate. Osteoporosis increases your risk of fractures and pain. Although this condition is most commonly seen in women post-menopause, it can happen to anyone, especially as we age. As prevalent as this condition is, most people do not even know they have it until they break a bone. Therefore, for the next four weeks, we want to challenge you to strengthen your bone health and protect yourself from fractures no matter your age or demographic. 

Are you ready to say “yes” to bone health? Here is a weekly training plan example you can adapt into your life that only takes about 30 minutes a day.

Monday: Aerobics

A great way to strengthen bones is low-impact, weight-bearing exercises, and an easy way to do this is to just do the activity most of us already do: walking! Walking is an easy, cost-effective way to maintain bone density, improve balance, and help you feel great. Here is an idea of what you can do on Mondays during your health journey.

• Walk 1 mile: Go at your own pace. Take breaks as needed
• Enjoy time outdoors in the sun: Vitamin D is crucial for bone health and can be acquired during your walk

Tuesday: Strengthening (legs)

Strong muscles need to be supported by strong bones. By introducing stress on your muscles, they pull on your bones which in turn strengthen to meet the demands of the muscles. Here are some ideas you can do on your health journey Tuesdays:

• Heel raises: Stand holding onto a wall or a counter and raise up onto your toes. For an extra challenge try to rise up on your toes quickly and lower down slowly.
  
• Side kicks: Stand holding onto a wall or counter and kick your leg to the side. This trains your hip muscles and prevents hip osteoporosis, one of the most common areas for osteoporosis.
  
• Mini squats: stand holding onto a wall or counter and pretend you are sitting on a bar stool. You do not have to go low! This way you can minimize any knee pain while still strengthening your leg bones.
  

Wednesday: Strengthening (arms)

Osteoporosis can happen to any part of your body, including your arms and wrists. This is why it is important to strengthen your arms as part of your fight against osteoporosis. Here are some ideas on how to do so:

• Wall pushups: This is exactly as it sounds. Find a wall or tall surface and do some pushups!
  
• Arm circles: Spread your arms out and draw both big and small circles going in both directions. For an extra challenge, hold a bottle of water in each hand.
• Wrist curls: Lift your fist up and down just at your wrist to strengthen the area and prevent wrist osteoporosis. For an extra challenge, grab a light weight or a can of soup while you do this.
  

Thursday: Back to the Aerobics

A low-impact weight-bearing exercise is one of the best ways to prevent osteoporosis, so it is a good idea to do it often. Here are some more ideas in this exercise category:

• Walk 1 mile: Yes! Do this again. Walking is so great for many different conditions, so let’s get out there and walk!
• High knees/Butt kickers: Mix up your walk with some extra flair. You can pick up your knees or your feet as you walk to get extra benefits from your walk.
• Toe walk/Heel walk: Another way to make your walk more interesting is to take some steps on your toes or your heels. Make sure you have someone with you to keep you safe before attempting this though.
  

Friday: Let’s go out!

If you ever need an excuse to go out on a Friday night, here it is!

• Dance! Have fun!: Dance is a dynamic and fun way to get your aerobics exercise in as well as release some stress. The best thing about it is you do not even realize you are exercising!

Saturday: Balance

Balance exercises almost all the muscles in your body and loads your bones in a healthy way to strengthen them. On Saturdays, here are some ideas to help strengthen your bones while improving your balance at the same time.

• Single leg stance: Stand on one leg as long as you can. To be safe, it is best to do this in a corner of the walls. For an extra challenge, close your eyes. If you need to ease into this activity, try standing heel to toe and balancing as long as you can.
• Heel-to-toe walking: Walk on a line or a balance beam. Of course, always stay safe by holding onto a wall or parallel bars.
• Tai Chi: Join a group or follow along with an online video to improve your bone health and balance while getting a splash of meditative benefits.

Sunday: Bringing it together

Let’s wrap it up strong! Here is a summary workout you can do on Sundays:

• Walk 1 mile: You already know this one! On this day, try to challenge yourself by taking at least part of this mile on a hill.
• Mini-squats: This is a great way to load your lower extremities and strengthen your bones, so it deserves a revisit on Sundays.
• Wall pushups: For an extra challenge on Sundays, do these with a fisted hand to work out your wrists as well.
• Clean up a room: With all the squatting, reaching, and bending involved in picking up a room (or the whole house), cleaning is actually great for preventing osteoporosis. Tie every exercise principle together while freshening up your house!

Conclusion

Bone strengthening is crucial to a fracture-free, healthy life at any age but is especially important as we age. This month–and really, any month–we want to challenge you to take your bone health into your own hands. The exercises above are a great way to get started, but to better personalize your exercise program to meet your bone health goals and fit your lifestyle, consider seeking a physical therapy service or personal training to take your health to the next level. 

References

1. Clynes MA, Harvey NC, Curtis EM, Fuggle NR, Dennison EM, Cooper C. The epidemiology of osteoporosis. Br Med Bull. 2020;133(1):105-117. doi:10.1093/bmb/ldaa005
2. Osteoporosis Awareness & Prevention Month. Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation. https://www.bonehealthandosteoporosis.org/awareness-month/