Seniors Can Keep Their Bones Healthy With These Exercise Tips
The latest statistics from the National Institute of Health declare osteoporosis and low bone mass to be a major public health threat for almost 44 million Americans over 50; with estimated annual costs of more than $16 billion to treat seniors with osteoporosis. It is projected that this figure will rise to 44 million by 2020. When researchers examined studies from Medicare, they found that 5% of members were treated annually for a fracture while another 24% have osteoporosis without suffering a fracture. If you’re over 50 and don’t want to deal with deteriorating bone mass, incorporating these three elements during your exercise routine can help.
Weight-bearing Exercises
If you have been diagnosed with osteoporosis or afraid that you may have it, then you may want to avoid high-impact aerobics; but your bones can benefit from low-impact aerobics routines. These activities force you to work against gravity, keeping your bones healthy. Walking, stair climbing, swimming, and biking are all activities that you should consider for your exercise routine. Try to do 30 minutes of low-impact aerobic exercises daily for the best results.
Resistance Exercises
Seniors wanting to keep their bones healthy should engage in a variety of resistance exercises. These exercises include free weights, weight machines, medicine balls, and elastic band exercises. It is crucial to perform a resistance exercise involving each of the major muscle groups. You should do the training at the target intensity and repeat the 8 to 12 times.
Most seniors benefit from doing these three types of resistance exercises.
- Isometric Resistance Exercises: This type of strength training is designed to enable muscle contraction while keeping joint angle and muscle length constant. Examples include yoga, planking, wall sits, etc.
- Isotonic Resistance Exercises: These are designed to lengthen and shorten muscles while overcoming external resistance, keeping muscle tension constant. Examples include bicep curls, bench press, leg press, and squats.
- Isokinetic Resistance Exercises: This type of strength training uses specialized machines to produce a constant yield regardless of how much force you exert. Isokinetic exercises increase muscle flexibility and offer controlled muscle development without any risk of injury. Examples include stationary bikes, rowing machines, and most rehabilitation machines.
Flexibility Exercises
While flexibility exercises may not keep bones healthy, they improve muscle flexibility, keeping your muscles healthy and resilient. Doing stretching exercises regularly also has many other health benefits for seniors, including improving posture, increasing energy levels, and managing arthritis pain. You can even do flexibility exercises while sitting down.
Seniors should take advantage of these two types of stretching:
- Static: Static stretching involves gradually elongating muscles and holding the elongated position for a short time period. The goal of these stretches is to release tension in your muscles, making them more pliable and less likely to pull or strain. Examples include toe touches, side bends, hamstring stretches, etc.
- Dynamic: Dynamic stretching involves movement-based stretches that prepare the body for physical activity. These include jumping jacks, jump rope, jogging, lunges, etc.
It is vital to concentrate on these three types of exercises to keep your bones strong and reduce your risk of injury. If you do get injured, however, then make sure to contact Central Florida Bone and Joint Institute . We want to be your orthopedic surgeon in Deltona. You will love our team of caring professionals who genuinely want you to maintain the best lifestyle as possible as you age. Call these orthopedic surgeons in Deltona to set up an appointment today if you require their services. They also have offices throughout Central Florida, so choose the place that is most convenient for you.