Osteoporosis is a condition in which bones lose calcium and become “porous”. Bones become susceptible to breakage and breaks down quickly. The skeletal system is unable to replace bone at a sufficient pace and bone become fragile, less dense, and "brittle".
Risk factors associated with Osteoporosis include:
- Smoking cigarettes
- being over 50 years of age
- Having a diet low in calcium
- Being a woman with early
menopause.
Now for the good news!....
There are several things you can do to offset the effects of this very common disease. Healthy lifestyle habits like eating well (plenty of calcium and vitamin D), smoking cessation, exercising, and limiting alcohol consumption can help to prevent and offset the effects of this disease.
The Doctors of Physical Therapy @ ProForm Physical Therapy can help you! Exercise not only helps build muscle and endurance, it also builds and
maintains bone density. Two types of exercise for osteoporosis are:
- Weight-bearing in nature - Walking, dancing, stair climbing depending on age and physical condition. Most experts recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity 5 times /week.
- Resistance (this includes lifting weights). This has shown to increase bone mass and reduce risk of fractures.
