As many as 44 million Americans are currently at risk of developing osteoporosis. Each year, osteoporosis is the cause of 1.5 million broken bones. Osteoporosis is a silent disease. You may not have any indication that you have the condition until you experience a fracture. Often the first sign for many that osteoporosis is taking a toll on aging bones, fractures can be painful, cause hospital stays, and may not heal properly. Fractures caused by bone loss can strike any bone — but, in particular, the bones of the spine, wrists and hips are vulnerable.
What causes osteoporosis to take hold? Part of the problem is that older bones simply don’t regenerate in the same way that younger bones do. As you grow up, your old bones regenerate as new bone mass grows. Until your mid-30s, your body does a great job of producing more bone than is removed. After this, you start to lose more bone than you’re making, which causes your bone mass to deteriorate. Because of this, osteoporosis is more likely to strike when you are older.
If you want to keep your bones healthy and cut the chances of developing osteoporosis, then exercise may be the way to do it, according to researchers at the Osteoporosis Foundation. Exercise is a great way to build and maintain bones and prevent fractures.
The report points out that exercise also improves muscle control, balance and coordination, and reduces the risk of falling or suffering a fracture during a fall. According to the report, recent studies show that exercise may be as important as diet when it comes to preventing the damage caused by osteoporosis.
Weight-bearing and high-impact exercise are needed, the experts say, to stimulate bone formation. Lifting weights, running, sprinting, jumping and skipping are all excellent ways to get in a little weight-bearing exercise.
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