Exercises for Osteopenia

Osteopenia is defined as the medical condition, wherein, the density of bones is lower than the normal value, however, not low enough to be called osteoporosis. Such a condition of the bones, results, if the rate of bone absorption is greater than that of creation.

Osteopenia is quite common in occurrence and mostly affects people over 30 years of age. If not treated or controlled in time, it may lead to osteoporosis. Therefore, you must know about some ways of curing this condition.

There are two main aspects that need your consideration in the treatment. These are diet and exercise. You should follow a balanced diet that is rich in vitamins and minerals. Sufficiency of all the nutrients needed by bones will restore the normal density of the bones. Some of these nutrients are vitamin D, vitamin K, calcium, and magnesium. There are some exercises that are specifically designed for treating this bone illness. You can perform them safely and comfortably at home.

In the condition of osteopenia, the bones get thinner. They get their strength back to normal with the help of weight-bearing exercises. There are some weight-bearing exercises that you can include as a part of your lifestyle and cure this health condition faster without the need for medical intervention.

The exercises include, walking, jogging, climbing stairs, playing tennis, playing squats, swimming, and weightlifting. You can enhance the effect of these general exercises by performing some specific exercises to osteopenia. They include exercises for balance, coordination, and bone density.

Following are the examples of each type of workouts, along with basic steps on how to perform them.

Take a chair with a high back and a watch to time yourself. Place the chair near a wall. Stand between the wall and the chair. Lift your left leg by bending it at the knee. Your left shin should be parallel to the floor while you are in this position. Stay in this position for as long as you are comfortable.

Do not force yourself to hold the position if you start stumbling. Come back to your original position immediately when you start to tremble. Wait and relax for a few minutes to gain your strength back. Now, lift your right leg off the floor in the same manner as you did for the left leg.

Try to stay in the position for a period that is comfortable to you. The threshold period for one to hold such a position is 10 minutes. Practice this exercise on a daily basis without straining yourself till you reach the threshold time. You can do it anywhere and anytime of the day. There are numerous exercises for improving balance in yoga.

You may search for them, perform them and improve your condition. However, do not perform any exercise that needs you to bend your body forward at the waist. This is because, it involves the risk of spontaneous crush fractures of the spine while coming back up to the original position.

There are some exercises for osteopenia that can improve loss of coordination in patients. Such exercises are very simple and easy to perform. The best exercise to bring betterment in coordination, which is lost due to weakness in the bones, is ball catching.

Take a rubber ball, throw it up, and then catch it with your hands. This is it. This simple exercise can improve the coordination that you have lost or may lose due to osteopenia. Perform it on a regular basis to improve your medical state.

The best exercise under this category is weightlifting. When done on a regular basis, it increases the mineral density and strength of your bones. You should start weightlifting with lighter weights that you are comfortable lifting. Perform them with the minimum possible repetitions. Gradually increase the count to the standard. Do not rush to reach the optimum count. Do it as safely as possible.

Always remember that it is better to be safe than sorry. When you find yourself comfortable lifting light weights to the recommended counts, increase the weight gradually. In this manner, you will increase bone density without straining or hurting your body. Be regular and disciplined with weightlifting exercises, as they are the key factors that can improve your bone density.

All the above suggested exercises are considered to be safe, comfortable, and sure to deliver results. However, your medical condition may or may not agree with these exercises. The statement can be best explained by a medical practitioner, who has studied your medical state.

It is very important for you to discuss your health, the exercises, and treatment options with your doctor. If he gives you the green signal to perform these exercises, you should start doing them on regular basis. Also, do not forget to eat healthy, as it is another effective measure to cure this condition.