You might be osteoporotic, but you are not fragile. An osteoporosis diagnosis does not mean you should cower away from heavy weights or impact, weight bearing exercises. In fact, research suggests that these can be our best friends when it comes to treating osteoporosis.
Resistance training, includes exercising with:
- Dumbbells
- Barbells
- Kettlebells
- Resistance bands
- Exercise machines
- Bodyweight
This has been shown time and time again to maintain bone density and can promote bone growth. When prescribed at the right intensity by your physiotherapist, combining resistance training with enjoyable weight bearing exercises like
- Dancing
- Jumping rope
- Hiking
- Gardening and many more
can provide you with pain reduction and an increase in function and independence. You will also begin to see improvements in your balance and stability which can be game changers when it comes to preventing falls and fractures.
The evidence suggests that these types of exercises will do you more good than non-weight bearing activities like cycling or swimming so if you can try to steer away from these, unless of course you enjoy them!
Obviously, we want you to exercise safely so come have a chat with myself or one of our other trained physiotherapists before commencing an exercise programme.
You can book a session with us on our website or call 01 496 4002.
Eoin Lombard
