What is Osteoporosis/Osteopenia?
Osteoporosis affects 1.2 million Australians, where bones become fragile and brittle leading to a higher risk of fractures than in normal bones. This can affect any bones particularly hip, spine, wrist, ribs and forearms.
Osteoporosis/Osteopenia occur when bones lose minerals, such as calcium, quicker than the body can replace, leading to a loss of bone thickness (bone density). Various risk factors exist affecting men and women which include age, medical conditions including malabsorption, perimenopause, cancer and its treatment and autoimmune conditions.
Osteoporosis usually has no symptoms until a fracture occurs which is why it is often called the ‘silent disease’. To be diagnosed your doctor may refer you for a DEXA scan which looks at your current bone density.
How is low bone density treated?
Individuals with low bone density will be encouraged to eat certain foods, potentially prescribed medication to stimulate bone growth and advised to complete specific exercise. Exercise plays a role in primary, secondary treatment and the prevention of osteoporosis with peak bone density being developed during adolescence and early adulthood. Exercise can help bones modify their shape and size, so they become stronger.
What are the best types of exercise for bone density?
To target bone density specific exercise must be at a certain intensity to stimulate bone adaptation.
– Resistance training (e.g. squats, lunges and overhead presses) should be completed 2 -3 times per week at a 75%-85% of one repetition max to provide adequate stimulus for bone adaptation.
– Weight-bearing impact Exercises (Hopping, Jumping, Hang drops etc.) should generate 2-4 times body weight and performed in bouts around 50 impacts, 3 times per week.
– Balance/Functional training for at least 3 hours per week, reducing risk of falls.
How can allied health help?
Exercise Physiologists and Physiotherapists can supervise and provide an individualised and progressive exercise program ensuring safe completion of exercise while taking into any account special considerations for instance osteoarthritis, recent injuries/fractures and cancer.
