- A new research statement says that to protect your bone health as you age, especially if you have osteoporosis, you need to exercise more, not less.
- Researchers suggest strength training at least two days a week and moderate-impact activity most days of the week.
A common perception about aging and retirement is that you'll have more time for lounging compared to your working days. But taking that approach is actually a bad idea when it comes to bone health, according to commentary in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. The researchers emphasize that aging should include much more activity—especially strength training—rather than less.
For those who already have osteoporosis, which involves lower bone density, that advice is particularly important. The researchers noted that about 137 million women and 21 million men worldwide have high risk of fractures due to the condition, and those numbers are expected to double over the next 40 years, in part due to higher rates of sedentary behavior.
The recommendations to help combat this include starting an exercise routine with muscle strengthening at least two days a week, along with moderate-impact activities such as jogging, aerobics, or light hopping most days of the week. Even brisk walking for 20 minutes every day can yield advantages for those who are frail and elderly, the researchers add. (The researchers also note the importance of strong posture and avoiding spinal flexion, or rounding of the back, for those at risk of fractures.)
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Clinicians are sometimes hesitant to prescribe more activity for those who have bone health issues, they noted, and they can also be unsure about what to advise as a starting point out of fear of worsening osteoporosis. But that reluctance can be costly, according to the consensus statement, because it can worsen bone density and actually increase probability of fractures, particularly as people become more unstable in their gait and balance.
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In addition to preventing fractures, strength and endurance training has a wealth of other benefits for healthy aging, according to Scott Kaiser, M.D., geriatrician and director of geriatric cognitive health for Pacific Neuroscience Institute at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in California.
He told Bicycling that the combination of activity like cycling along with two to three resistance training workouts weekly can boost cardiovascular health, cognitive function, posture, sleep quality, balance, and mood, which are all essential elements of staying strong for decades. Putting activity off into the future can have a major ripple effect, he added, including less mobility and independence.
Best of all? It's never too late to start.
“Even if you already have osteoporosis, there is so much you can do to support your health in a breadth of ways,” he said. “Just get started and build gradually, and you might be surprised at how quickly you feel changes in coordination, stability, and strength.”
Elizabeth Millard is a freelance writer focusing on health, wellness, fitness, and food.
