Nahid Masumi's Blog

Being female puts us at risk of developing osteoporosis and broken bones. Here are some facts:

• Of the estimated 10 million Americans with osteoporosis, about eight million or 80% are women.
• Approximately one in two women over age 50 will break a bone because of osteoporosis.
• A woman's risk of breaking a hip is equal to her combined risk of breast, uterine and ovarian cancer.
There are multiple reasons why women are more like to get osteoporosis than men, including:
• Women tend to have smaller, thinner bones than men.
• Estrogen, a hormone in women that protects bones, decreases sharply when women reach menopause, which can cause bone loss. This is why the chance of developing osteoporosis increases as women reach menopause

Now the good news:
People used to think that osteoporosis was an inevitable part of aging. Today we know a lot more about how to prevent, detect, and treat the disease. You are never too young or old to take care of your bones

Why do health experts recommend exercise for osteoporosis?

When you exercise, you don't just build muscle and endurance. You also build and maintain the amount and thickness of your bones. You may hear health professionals call this “bone mass and density.”
Three types of exercise for osteoporosis are:
Weight-bearing exercise such as Walking, Hiking, Dancing, and Stair climbing

Resistance exercise such as Free weights or weight machines at home or in the gym, and any water exercise

Flexibility exercise such as stretching, Yoga, and Pilate

All three types of exercise are needed to build healthy bones.