Complications (1)
- Bone health: Tips to keep your bones healthy
Prevention (3)
- Exercising with osteoporosis: Stay active the safe way
- Calcium and calcium supplements: Achieving the right balance
- Fall prevention: 6 tips to prevent falls
Risk factors (1)
- Hyperparathyroidism
Symptoms (1)
- Symptom Checker
Tests and diagnosis (1)
- Bone density test
Treatments and drugs (2)
- Osteoporosis treatment: Medications can help
- Options for osteoporosis therapy
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Exercising with osteoporosis: Stay active the safe way
If you have osteoporosis, you might mistakenly think exercise will lead to fracture. In fact, though, using your muscles helps protect your bones.
By Mayo Clinic staffOsteoporosis is a major cause of disability in older women. So if you have osteoporosis, how can you reduce your risk of the spinal problems and broken bones that can result in loss of mobility and independence?
The answer: Exercise.
If you've always been physically active, good for you. Even though your bones may lose some density as you age, they're less likely to become brittle enough to break if you slip and fall. Plus by exercising, you strengthen your muscles and stronger muscles also help protect your bones.
Benefits of exercise
It's never too late to start exercising. After menopause, the pace of bone loss really picks up. Starting an exercise program can increase your muscle strength, improve your balance and help you avoid falls — and it may keep your bones from getting weaker.
For postmenopausal women, regular physical activity can:
- Increase your muscle strength
- Improve your balance
- Make you better able to carry out daily tasks and activities
- Maintain or improve your posture
- Relieve or decrease pain
- Improve your sense of well-being
Exercising if you have osteoporosis means finding the safest, most enjoyable activities for you, given your overall health and amount of bone loss. There's no one-size-fits-all prescription.
Before you start
Consult your doctor before starting any exercise program for osteoporosis. You may need some tests first, including:
- Bone density measurement
- Fitness assessment
In the meantime, think about what kind of activities you enjoy most. If you choose an exercise you enjoy, you're more likely to stick with it over time.
Next page(1 of 2)
- The North American Menopause Society. Management of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women: 2010 position statement of The North American Menopause Society. Menopause. 2010;17:25.
- Guadalupe-Grau A, et al. Exercise and bone mass in adults. Sports Medicine. 2009;39:439.
- Osteoporosis: Frequently asked questions. The National Women's Health Information Center. http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/osteoporosis.cfm. Accessed Aug. 18, 2010.
- Marcus R. Role of exercise in preventing and treating osteoporosis. Rheumatic Diseases Clinics of North America. 2001;27:131.
- Lindsay R, et al. Osteoporosis. In: Fauci AS, et al. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 17th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aid=2903484. Accessed Aug. 18, 2010.
- Prevention: Exercise for healthy bones. National Osteoporosis Foundation. http://www.nof.org/prevention/exercise.htm. Accessed Aug. 18, 2010.
- Bone basics: Moving safely. National Osteoporosis Foundation. http://www.nof.org/osteoporosis/Guidelines_for_Safe_Movement.pdf. Accessed Aug. 18, 2010.
- Exercise for your bone health. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Bone/Bone_Health/Exercise/default.asp. Accessed Aug. 18, 2010.
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