It is estimated that half of all women and nearly one-quarter of men will develop osteoporosis. These numbers are expected to climb as the lifespan of the average American increases. Public health initiatives hope to raise awareness in younger people about the need to maintain good bone health. They have been designed to educate people about the importance of keeping track of bone mineral density and calculating fracture risk through regular consultations with a healthcare provider.
The word “osteoporosis” comes from the Latin word meaning “porous bones.” Osteoporosis is a progressive disease. The bones gradually become weaker and weaker, causing posture changes and a greatly increased risk of getting bone fractures.
One way to protect your bone health is to simply make the effort to incorporate daily exercise into your life. Why is exercise so important when it comes to older bones? Exercise, in a roundabout way, could help to prevent fractures.
At least this is what a recent study performed in Finland has found. Older women with thinning bones who exercise regularly show improvements in their balance and walking speed that may protect them from fractures and even extend their lives, the research shows.
The Finish research team conducted a 30-month trial of an exercise intervention in 160 women with “osteopenia” — a word that means these women had some loss of bone density, but not enough to constitute osteoporosis. They found that the women who exercised walked more quickly and performed better when it came to strength and stability than the women who didn’t exercise.
During a seven-year follow-up, the researchers determined that among all the women in the study, those who participated in moderate physical activity throughout their lives were 78% less likely to sustain a fracture.
The researchers concluded that even small declines in strength and stability can significantly impair older people’s ability to perform activities of daily living, such as getting out of bed, or walking upstairs. They say the results of their study suggest that the women in the exercise group may have had an increase in performance capacity reserve large enough to prevent loss of independence and future fractures.
There you have it: regular daily physical exercise should be recommended for anyone wishing to maintain strength and flexibility in the effort to stave off osteoporosis.
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