EXERCISE AND OSTEOPOROSIS

Osteoporosis , which literally means 'porous bones', results from the loss of calcium and the other minerals that are essential for strong, dense bones. Although osteoporosis is generally thought to be a condition that mainly affects women, it is now being diagnosed with greater frequency in men.

Doing an hour of moderate exercise three times a week can be sufficient to prevent osteoporosis. Exercise has also been shown to increase bone density even when osteoporosis has already commenced. However, if you have developed osteoporosis you should seek professional advice. Exercise should be gentle at first to avoid fracturing any bones, and continued for life because any benefits to your bones are lost within a year of stopping.


Exercising outdoors brings an added benefit. Exposing the skin to the sun for short periods without sun-blocking creams enables the body to make the vitamin D that is needed to help calcium be absorbed by the body. It is best to avoid the midday sun, which is more likely to burn the skin and cause skin cancer.

What Sort Of Exercise Is Best?
Exercise for osteoporosis should stretch, compress, bend and twist the bones. This means that many everyday activities, such as gardening , housework and even carrying the groceries home, are all valuable for the arms and upper body. Gardening is a good, inexpensive and can be gentle or as strenuous as you like. Walking, dancing, jogging if you are fit enough and going up and down stairs all benefit the bones of the spine and the legs, including the


hips, which are among the commonest bones to be fractured. For elderly people any type of daily activity, including chair exercises can be beneficial because calcium leaves bones very rapidly when a person is immobile, even for a few days. Cycling, swimming and yoga are of limited benefit for counteracting osteoporosis.

Can Dietary Changes Help?
At 50+ the differences in bone density between meat-eaters and vegetarians become more marked, probably because calcium is lost from the bones more slowly in vegetarians. The Optimum Diet will help to prevent osteoporosis because it limits intake of protein and refined sugar, both of which can deplete calcium. In addition, a generous intake of green leafy vegetables provides plenty of calcium, boron, magnesium, potassium and vitamin K, all of which help to strengthen the bones.


Stretching your muscles and moving your joints on a regular basis can help to reduce stiffness.

Other Bone Preserves
Giving up smoking, restricting alcohol intake to 14 units a week for women and 21 units for men and avoiding carbonated drinks, which are high in phosphate, all help to preserve your bones. You should avoid antacid medicines that contain aluminium and the use of aluminium saucepans, because the aluminium dissolves in acidic food and can interfere with calcium absorption.

Supplements To Consider

• Calcium (Caution: avoid calcium supplements from dolomite, bonemeal or oyster shell, unless the manufacturer guarantees they are free of lead contamination).
• Vitamin D: especially during the winter or if you are housebound. Avoid high doses, which may adversely affect magnesium levels.
• Magnesium
• Vitamins B6, B12 and folic acid: for the elderly who often have a dietary deficit.
• Silicon: may be helpful in the treatment of established osteoporosis.
• Phyto-oestrogens: these oestrogenlike substances from plants have been used in many conditions that are now treated in orthodox medicine by oestrogen. Found in soya products such tofu and soya milk, their benefit for ostoeporosis is not yet scientifically established, but they are thought to be helpful.