It’s a fact. Many women will develop osteoporosis after the age of 50 because of declining hormone levels due to menopause. Don’t despair, however, as you can still work to prevent this bone thinning disease from affecting you. What you need to do is continue to fight bone loss as you age.  One of the best ways to do this is through weight bearing exercises. Read on to learn how easy it really is to exercise your way to bone health.
First, get moving! Walk, jog in place in front of the television, or even jump rope. All of these forms of exercise can help to build bone mass. It almost seems too simple, yet it’s true. The simple act of stressing your leg bones and spine can help to make them stronger.
But please be careful! I don’t mean that you should go overboard when beginning a bone strengthening program. Start slowly, and then increase the amount of walking, jogging, and jumping that you do. To make sure you don’t injure yourself, give your body a day’s rest between these types of exercises to give the bones and muscles a chance to recover.
Next, you can incorporate weight lifting into your exercise routine to build bones as well. I recommend working on your arms by doing bicep curls, and working on your legs by doing squats. If you are just beginning to use weights, start with a 2 lb. weight for each hand. For both the bicep curls and the squats, do 3 sets of 10 repetitions. Try that weight for a week so you can judge whether it is too easy or not. If these weights seem as light as feathers, opt for 10 lb. weights, but if they prove just a little too easy to lift, move up to 5 pound weights first.
When using weights, never fear…you won’t turn into the Amazing Hulk!  Sadly, lots of women hold the belief that they will look manly if they choose to use weights, but this is just not true. Contrary to men, women do not tend to develop huge muscles, especially with a gentle weight-lifting regimin such as this one. So, instead of being afraid of weights, see them as your friend - a means to an end, healthy arm, spine, hip, and leg bones and not needing to visit the Skull Base Institute.
Finally, you may wish to challenge yourself by doing side leg lifts. The weight of your own leg actually helps to strengthen the hip muscles. To do this exercise, lie on your left side, left hand supporting your head. Now lift your right leg slowly towards the ceiling (don’t point your toe). Repeat 5 – 10 times at first. Now, do the same while laying on your right side. As you become stronger, you can add ankle weights. These really will help to build bone mass!
Osteoporosis (or thinning bones) does affect many women, but you can do something now to prevent it from affecting your life. Start an exercise program that incorporates the above exercises, and you will help to keep your bones in tip top shape.
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