Question of the Week: Your Great Ideas for Weight Bearing Exercises

Dear Anonymous, welcome and thanks for your very detailed explanation of your weight bearing routine that is working for you and keeping you interested and motivated in continuing it by rotating your routine to keep if fresh.

Your idea of a log of what you do is fantastic, and an idea many of us should consider, so we can easily see what we've accomplished, on a particular day or month, that should keep us motivated.

You've obvioulsy done a lot of reading on this and it has to be paying off.  I hope I and the community can be so dedicated.

Thanks again for all your wonderfully productive exercises!!  Join us anytime to help us with our particular physical struggles.

Anonymous, I just wanted to add I will be checking out those books you mentioned for possible modifications.  Thanks for the names of them, I'm sure we'll all get good safe info from them.

Hi Phyllis, thanks for reminding us about functional exercise and how we do it everyday even if we don't think about it, and how important it is for balance and strength.

I also think it's important to do other things besides weight bearing exercise since this will help with the monotony that sometimes happens.  I like to swim and even though it's not weight bearing it's good for my heart, lungs, mind and enjoyable, plus it doesn't hurt.

I'll have to try some of your walking suggestions and see if I can walk like no ones watching

I try so hard on my posture, but sometimes it's a hopeless cause.  I'll just have to constantly remind myself like my mother used to do, to stand up straight, keep your shoulders back and chin level.

Music really does help, but again it's something I forget to include so thanks for reminding me.

Thanks for all your wonderful "keeping it simple ideas," for exercise!!

Pam---

 As they alway say, before starting any exercise program check with your doctor. Plus, anyone with established osteoporosis  and  especially those with any injury should have an appointment with  a physical therapist to develop a safe  exercise program.  Physical therapists are experts at tailoring programs to an individual's specific  physical needs.

For anyone starting a program, especially those with established osteoporosis and/or injuries, realize that getting started is really a wonderful thing that you are doing for yourself, and celebrate that! While it may seem that there is so much you cannot do, there are things that you will be able to do. And, while advancement  may  seem slow, keep your spirits up and note your small successes. A day with baby steps towards your fitness goals is better than a day with no steps taken at all.

Hi thanks so much for reminded us about the virtues of baby steps, and checking in with a Physical Therapist to help design a program of exercise that fits in with your particular medical problems that could interfere with exercise.

As you said, it's also a good idea to see the progress in what we do even if that happens at a slower pace; at least it's still happening and we *are* accomplishing something for our bones and health.

Join us anytime, we'd love to hear more from you!!

Hi Monica thanks for joining us.  I know how hard it is to get motivated with exercise since some of us aren't so easily inclined to put in the work, especially if you have to deal with weather problems or pain and injury.

Have you tried to find an exercise video that would be something you'd like to do?  I know there are so many available it's just a matter of finding the right one for you.  Check you local library for them so you don't have to spend money on videos in the searching stage.  This way you could check out several and then watch and eliminate those you don't like and then continue till you find something.  I'm sure you'll find something that you like.

Unfortunately if we don't exercise we will get worse.  Our bones/muscles really need the exercise to build new bone and slow bone loss.  So you really need to find something that you like and will stick with.  If you find something and then get tired of it, just look for something else there's so many things to choose from.

Good luck and maybe some of the other members who have specific recommendations for videos that can be done indoors, away from the cold, will pop in and give you some ideas.

Thanks for your reply.  I'll try to do something.... and hope to stick with it.  Please note that English is not my native language and therefore I would like you, if at all possible, to explain what precisely does "weight bearing exercises" mean.  Is simply walking that kind of exercise or does it mean that you have to put some weights in your arms or legs?

Just for you to know, I have osteoporosis in my hips, for the time being no fractures and taking Bonviva (trademark in Uruguay) calcium 1500 mg per day and vitamin D 1000mg per day.  In addition to drinking yogurt, about 250 ml a day.  I'm 51 years old.

Thanks

Monica

Hi Monica, here's some examples of weight bearing exercises that may help to explain it. 

High impact weight bearing:

* Dancing
* High-impact aerobics
* Hiking
* Jogging/running
* Jumping Rope
* Stair climbing
* Tennis

Low impact weight bearing:

* Elliptical training machines
* Low impact aerobics
* Stair-step machines
* Walking (treadmill/outside)  (source: National Osteoporosis Foundation)

If you click on the link above it will take you to the NOF where they explain these exercises, and others.  Notice that all these exercises are done while standing on your feet and bearing your own body weight.  If you like to dance Phyllis' idea is great and fun too.

Good luck finding something you like!!

Hi Monica...don't feel bad that you don't like to exercise, you're not alone.  the trick is to find an activity that you do enjoy doing.  Sometimes when you start to exercise you find that you do enjoy it more than you thought you would.  I do have one idea....do you like to dance?  Putting on good music and dancing around the house can be fun and also give you a good workout. Dancing is weight bearing, so its good for your bones, it gets your whole body moving so its also areobic and if it puts a big smile on your face its good for spirit.  It's a win win activity.  Do you have a dog? If so and you take it for walks, thats exercise to.  Have a good weekend..take care..phyllis

Hi, thanks a lot for your comments that I'm not alone!!!!! and there are other people that DO NOT LIKE EXERCISING!!!!  I'll try my best to do something!!!!  The worst of all is that my husband is always encouraging me to do something and telling me that he does it with me, but... nothing...

I don't promise to start something immediately but as soon as I do I will let you know!!!

Hi golfergal, thanks for joining our discussion.  I'm assuming you've never had a fracture is that correct?  If you had, your Dr. might have a different opinion on some types of yoga (forward/backward bending) since that's really hard on the spine and can be quite dangerous.  The treadmill is great, but the twisting motion you do when you play golf can also be bad, if your t-scores are really low.  I realize you will do what you want to, so these are just the normal recommendations we give everyone so you know that some of these things can be dangerous.

Your supplements sound good, what type of yoga are you doing?  Does it have a lot of spinal twisting, forward and backward bends, touching toes that sort of thing, bending from the waist?  Just be really careful with all these movements since they can cause a compression fracture when you least expect it.  You may want to get a yoga tape that is designed for those with osteoporosis and see if you like that.  I kinda freak out when I hear people are doing forward or backward bends with osteoporosis.  I've had many spinal fractures and you don't want one of those.  I also did yoga for years, and don't know if it was a contributing factor to any of the frax's (6) in the spine.  I absolutely can't do that sort of thing now since I have rods/screws in my spine and wouldn't try to anyway it hurts too much.

Good luck and look into a safe yoga tape for osteo-ok?

Hi Golfergal, I wanted to mention something about the yoga if you're interested.  If you could contact me through the private email here at OsteoporosisConnection I can hook you up with a really good yoga instructor that works specifically with osteo patients.  She has a web site and is very active at the National Osteoporosis Foundation, and you could find out about recommended types of yoga classes/tapes for us osteo guys and gals.

It's up to you. I just thought I'd mention it in case you are interested.

Good luck...

Sure, I'm always interested in a "good" yoga instructor.  I've taken yoga off and on since I was in my 20's.  Stopped after adopting two kids because I couldn't find one I thought was a "real" yoga instructor.

Hi Annon, I can't post the website since it's a commercial site, but if you want to look up the authors name I suppose that's ok, so here's her name and then you can go from there, or email me and I'll give you the web address.  Instructor and Author of Yoga books etc., featured at the NOF: Suza Francina-Iyengar Yoga.

Good luck...

I was on 50,000 units a week of Vitamin D for several weeks.  Then told by the doctor, that everything looks good.  I still get about 1500 units of Vitamin D a day in the calcium and vitamin pill I take.  In the lipid clinic that I attended with my husband, we were told Kansan, Nebraskans, etc.  don't get enough Vitamin D through the Fall and Winter.  So they told us to take vitamin D in everything (food, etc) we could.

I am under a Reumatologists care, and he belongs to the same Country Club that we belong to.  I see him frequently, in office, and on the golf course, and he feels what I am doing is just fine.

But I appreciate your concern.  The yoga I do is entitled "Gentle Yoga", but we do a lot of gentle stretching.  I don't do back bends, or head stands, nothing like that.  And I see, according to my receipts that I started with this yoga teacher, after searching for one for years, two years ago this July. 
I also had open heart surgery, a new Aorta

valve.  So I am trying to stay active for that reason also.

golfergal

Hi Golfergal, I'm sure you are very careful and glad you aren't doing any head stands or back bends.  As long as you feel comfortable with what you're doing then you should follow your gut.  We just mention the precautions because safety in exercise is very important with osteoporosis, so it was just added for reference since I know everyone will make their own decisions anyway and do what they feel best within their heart and gut.

Have fun with the golf and yoga, just be aware that being safe can be incorporated in what you do with exercise modifications.

I hope your D level goes up and good luck on the therapeutic dose of it, since it's sooo important with the low level D epidemic we have.

Thanks.  We are going to Mississippi in October to play golf Phildelphia, MS.  The Choctaw Indian Nation has two wonderful hotels connected by a walkway over the highway (with casino's) and two beautiful 18 hole golf holes that we are going to play.

I'll keep up my Vitamin D and other vitamins and practice some yoga while we are away.  And, oh yes, also my medicines concerning my heart so I won't have any problems.  My heart surgeon was a Dr. Ghandi, here in Topeka, and he is a grandson of Mahatma Ghandi (sp)?.  I fell in love with him (although he has a very nice  english wife!).