What’s the Best Exercise for Strong Bones (and How Often Should You Do It)
Although maintaining strong bones necessary for lead an active and healthy lifestyleespecially important because we are getting old. Hence exercise plays a critical role in the formation and maintenance of bone density, which can help prevent osteoporosisa disease that causes bones to become brittle and more likely to break.
Hence exercise Maintaining optimal bone health is important because stimulates cells responsible for bone formationBelow we will tell you which sport is better and how often you should practice it.
What are the best exercises for strong bones and preventing osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is widespread in Spain: in 2019, 2,945,000 people (79.2% of women and 20.8% of men) were affected, representing 5.4% of the population.In our country, 22.6% of women and 6.8% of men over 50 years of age suffer from osteoporosis.. Forecasts predict a large increase in the future, more than 29.6% in 2034, as the population over 50 will grow by 22.3%. This is the main cause of fragility fractures: 285,000 were registered in 2019, representing 14.8 fractures per 1,000 people,” the Spanish Society of General Practitioners and Family Doctors (SEMG) details.
Some alarming data, as “Osteoporosis increases morbidity and mortality, with one in five patients dying within a year of a hip fracturetotal 248,487 associated deaths in 2019The World Health Organization (WHO) ranks the disease as the second most important health problem in the world after cardiovascular diseases.
Thus, This needs to be corrected through healthy habits such as exercise.. The best for bone health are those that provide some resistance to the boneson the advice of experts MedicinePlus: Some:
- Brisk walks, jogging, playing tennis, dancing. or other weight-bearing activities such as aerobics and other sports.
- Thorough training with dumbbellsusing resistance machines or free weights.
weight bearing exercises Also:
- They increase bone density even in young people.
- They help maintain bone density in women approaching menopause.
How often should you exercise?
To protect our bones, we must “perform weight-bearing exercises three or more days a week for a total amount of more than 90 minutes a week“.
If we are older, we should consult a doctor or personal trainer before doing high-impact aerobics, such as step aerobics. “This type of exercise may increase the risk of fractures if you have osteoporosis,” experts explain.
Likewise, we can do low-impact exercises like yoga and tai chi, which, while not a huge help for bone density, can. improve balance and reduce the risk of falls and bone fractures.
Other healthy habits we can implement
In addition to exercise, we can develop healthy habits to avoid osteoporosis, such as:
- Quit smoking.
- Reduce your consumption alcohol.
- Rest assured that our body gets enough calcium.
- Have proper intake of vitamin D to help the body absorb calcium.
As for the last two points, we can dispel doubts with a few simple analyses.