Exercise & Bone Health
Katarina's Story | Exercise Information | Links
Read or listen to Katarina’s story about exercise and bone health…
Do you know about the importance of exercise to bone health? I hadn’t realized there is a positive effect of exercise on bones. I had thought that bone health was all about getting enough calcium while you were a kid. Now I’ve learned that exercise is important to bone health! Take a moment to learn about the important role that physical activity plays in helping you to get and keep healthy bones.
For people big and small and people young and old (and those of us in between!), exercise is helpful to bones. I now realize that being skinny doesn’t always mean you’re healthy and being a big person doesn’t always mean that you have healthy bones, and…I’ve learned that exercise is good for people of all ages! Before this project, I hadn’t realized what was meant by weight-bearing activities and resistance activities, but in the meantime I learned three things about exercise for bone health: (1) the best exercises are weight-bearing activities and resistance activities, (2) we want to fit exercise into our day-to-day living as much as possible, and (3) exercise benefits not only our bone health, but also our overall health. For example, walking helps with bone health and with circulation and our breathing. When we find our own ways of fitting different exercises into our daily lives, we are more likely to stay with them!
I encourage you to find your own ways to do exercise to help your bones—make it a family affair, go for a walk after dinner, be a role model for your children and grandchildren. Before you start any exercise program, consult with your physician to see what activities are appropriate for you. This is especially important if you have osteoporosis, as some types of movement may increase your risk of fracture. You will want to start with small changes and try to do one activity for at least 10 minutes, like grabbing a backpack and taking a walk to get groceries at your local store. My girlfriend and I started walking holding tuna cans in our hands, then we “graduated” to soup cans, and then we got weights. Make sure your cans are full! There are lots of ways to include activities in your daily living and every bit counts! We’ve put a list of ideas in the information section below to help you get started.
Go ahead…give exercise a try…it is good for your bones!
Different types of exercise for your bones
Weight-bearing activities are activities where your feet and legs are bearing the weight of your body, for example, walking, running, climbing the stairs, carrying your groceries home, skipping, dancing, and playing basketball, soccer, or racquet sports. Activities such as cycling, swimming and water aerobics are great exercises, but they are not weight bearing. So, try to incorporate some weight-bearing activities in your day-to-day life. If you take the bus, get off one or two stops early and walk from there. If you work in a building that has an elevator, try taking the stairs all or part of the way. Go for a nice brisk walk at lunch with your co-workers—it will not only be good for your bones, but also your heart! Pick up groceries on your way home and carry them in a pack on your back. You may want to go dancing or take dance lessons. Try to vary your activities to avoid getting bored and to use different muscles. There are many ways to incorporate weight-bearing activities into your day. I encourage you to think of a few that would work for you!
Resistance activities are those where you push weight against your muscles, for example, lifting weights or pulling on an elastic exercise band. The weights can be things that you have in your home like cans of food or bean bags. You can use an elastic exercise band (available from a sports equipment store) to do a range of activities such as bicep curls or leg presses (check the Arthritis Society–Canada website for diagrams of exercises). Even more convenient activities are those where you don’t need equipment—you can use your own body weight, for example, doing squats or push-ups. Be sure to consult with your health care provider before starting a change in your usual exercise pattern. Carefully consider the exercises you can do. Start with moderate activities and progress as you are able to. You can consult or get a referral to a physiotherapist, especially if you have any physical limitations to exercise. They will be able to give you ideas for different activities, and safe ways to gradually increase the resistance activities. Strengthening your body core is important for overall posture and protecting your back from injury. Balance exercises and flexibility training should also be included in your exercises. You can also check reliable websites on the Internet (such as the Arthritis Society–Canada or Mayo Clinic websites below) to learn how to properly try new weight-bearing, resistance, body core, balance and flexibility exercises. It is important that the exercises you choose to do are suitable to your health condition.
To keep your entire body in good health, current exercise recommendations suggest an accumulation of 30-60 minutes of moderate intensity activity each day. This may seem unachievable at first, but if you add together 10-minute segments of activity throughout the day you can reach 60 minutes, the upper end of the range. An example of moderate activity is a brisk walk where you can comfortably carry on a conversation with a walking partner. Flexibility training and balance exercises are good additions to weight-bearing and resistance activities. To add different activities to your life, you may want to join a gym, or take dance or core strengthening lessons. Try changing your activities with the seasons. Check with your local community recreation centre for services offered there—often a wide range of activities is available. If gyms aren’t for you, maybe you want to try a group or private session with a certified personal trainer. Talk to your neighbours or call one of your local running or athletic stores to get the name of a certified trainer in your area. Remember to consult with your health care provider before making changes to your activities. You may prefer to get a referral to a physiotherapist in your community if you have physical limitations to exercise.
Public Health Agency of Canada
Physical Activity Guide to Healthy Active Living
Physical Activity Guide to Healthy Active Living for Older Adults
It’s never too late to get active! Here you will find ideas for building different types of activity into your daily life. Suggestions are provided for contacting local community groups to help you get started with and maintain activities in your daily living. Establish your own physical activity routine to improve your overall health.
Osteofit – Exercise and Education for Healthy Bones
This is a safe and gentle fitness program for your bones (read the testimonials!). Osteofit classes are available at community centres throughout British Columbia. The program is designed for people who have poor bone health and those who are at risk for falling. You’ll learn about the benefits of activity for your bones as you improve your strength, coordination and balance. Osteofit was developed by health professionals and is a project of the Osteoporosis Program at BC Women’s Hospital and Health Centre. Osteofit is endorsed by Osteoporosis Canada (BC Division).
Osteoporosis Canada
Beyond offering information regarding foods, exercise and supplements for bone health, this website provides basic information about the diagnosis of and possible treatment options for osteoporosis. For people with osteoporosis, Osteoporosis Canada offers the DVD, Break Through Basics, which features exercises to maintain bone strength, improve posture and balance, strengthen muscles and increase flexibility. Also, you can use the Calcium Calculator™ to estimate your daily calcium intake. Try some of the calcium-rich recipes! They offer a toll-free bilingual information line: 1-800-463-6842 English and 1-800-977-1778 French.
The Mayo Clinic – Exercises for Osteoporosis
This website offers a slide show of types of exercises you can do if you have been diagnosed with osteoporosis or if you want to help prevent osteoporosis. Before you change your usual exercise pattern, it is critical that you consult your physician to see what types of exercises are best for you to do, and which ones to avoid.
The Arthritis Society – Canada
This website provides you with the “S.M.A.R.T.” tool that will support you to become more active – in your own way. They also offer ideas for activities you can do while at work, and they show small animations of resistance-type exercises you can do with just a elastic exercise band. You can download the “Activity Tracker” that allows you to record your activities, monitor your progress, and help you to keep on track with your own activity plan.
ProMOTION Plus
This British Columbia organization promotes girls and women’s involvement in sport and physical activity. You can access a lengthy report titled: Focus Group Report: Physical Activity and Women 55–70, by going to the Resource Library (found under the Learning and Resources menu tab) and selecting “Lifestyle Tips and The Research File”.
YWCA, or Your Local Community Centre
If participating in bone-healthy activities in your own local neighbourhood is what you are looking for then try giving your local YWCA or community centre a call to see what they have to offer (check online or in your local phone book). These are usually friendly, supportive, and affordable places for being active. Be sure to check with your doctor and to get proper instruction before changing your activity level.
Canadian Women's Health Network (CWHN)
The CWHN is a far-reaching network of people working to improve the health of women in Canada and around the world. The information shared on this website covers a wide range of health issues for women. You may not find information on bone health, but you may find another topic of interest to you.
National (U.S.) Osteoporosis Foundation
This website provides a wide range of information about bone health and osteoporosis. Take a look at the Prevention menu selection on the home page to learn more about calcium, vitamin D, and exercise for bone health as well as risk factors for osteoporosis. |
