Can I Prevent Osteoporosis?

It is never too early, or too late, to reduce your risk. Throughout life, we can reduce our risk of developing osteoporosis. It takes a combination of diet, exercise, appropriate treatments, and commitment. 

Weight-bearing exercise is essential for osteoporosis prevention. Like muscle, bone is a living tissue and responds to exercise by becoming stronger. Inactivity makes bones lose strength and become more fragile, increasing the risk of fracture. Thirty to sixty minutes of weight-bearing exercise three times a week can help maintain bone and prevent loss.

Weight-bearing exercise means forcing our bones and muscles to work against gravity. Examples include walking, jogging, playing tennis, climbing steps, dancing, taking aerobics classes, gardening, and lifting weights. Swimming and bicycling are not weight bearing but are nevertheless helpful because of their positive effects on fitness. 

Recent studies indicate that women who walk as little as one mile a day show significantly less bone loss than non-walkers, especially in their legs and torsos. The best advice is to make weight-bearing exercise part of our everyday lives. Start a walking club and make exercise a time to socialize. Purchase a pair of hand weights and do simple exercise at home while watching TV. Once we start an exercise program, however, we should stick with it to maximize the effects on our bones. Check with your doctor before starting any exercise program.

The Park District offers several programs that include weight-bearing exercise, such as, Hound Hikes, Hike for Your Health, and Stroller Strength. See our Programs page for more information. 

Source: A Women’s Perspective Newsletter in partnership with Columbia University