Don’t think that our bones are rigid. In fact, they’re not only strong, but also flexible. That’s how gymnasts are able to bend their bodies to seemingly impossible shapes without breaking their bones!

Exercises For Osteoporosis – Because bone is living tissue, it is constantly reacting to the stress human activities put on it. With the right exercise and training, you can bend your bones to unbelievable angles too.

A bone consists of a combination of collagen and mineral crystals comprising calcium and phosphate. This collagen matrix allows bone to expand and contract without breaking. In other words, your bones will respond and become stronger to resist the force that regular exercise puts on it. Similarly, if you are physically inactive, your bones get weaker and more frail, exposing them to greater risk of fracture.

Hey, lazy bones, get up and work out!

It’s a weight thing

Exercises For Osteoporosis – Any exercise that requires you to carry your weight and go against gravity can help you improve or maintain bone mass. The strain of carrying your weight and the push and pull of your muscles will stimulate bone formation, thus making it stronger.

High-impact, weight-bearing exercises are the most effective for building strong bones, but do them only if you don’t have low bone mass or osteoporosis.

Exercise is meant to build bone, not break it. Activities like running, jumping, hiking, and dancing, and playing sports like tennis and badminton constitute high-impact weight-bearing exercises.

On the other hand, low-impact weight-bearing exercises like walking and low-impact aerobics are more suitable for those who want to build strong bones but cannot do high impact exercises. You can also do resistance training and strengthening exercises like lifting weights or doing push-ups.

Be safe, however, by consulting your doctor or personal trainer first to avoid hurting yourself.

For the elderly, fall-related fractures can be debilitating. Up to 20% of those suffering from a hip fracture die within a year while two thirds of those who survive are disabled. Precautionary measures need to be taken to prevent this from happening.

Besides making sure that your house and surroundings are free from fall risks, you must also take steps to improve improve your balance and posture through exercise. Doing tai chi or yoga can give you better balance, posture, and coordination, which in turn can help prevent falls.

Everybody can do it

Exercises For Osteoporosis – Exercise for healthy bone can be tailored to suit every life stage and need. Exercise can help build healthy bone during childhood and maintain bone health during adulthood. Older people who exercise regularly can strengthen their bones and reduce their risk of fracture.

So no matter what age you are, or what physical condition you are in, you can find an exercise that benefits you.

Although non-weightbearing exercises can have cardiovascular benefits and are good for building muscles, they are not necessarily as effective as weight bearing ones. So if we’re talking about good bone health, then any activity that places a load on your bones is the way to go.

It is, however, dangerous to exercise without knowing your limits. Too much exercise can cause stress fractures and joint damage. Some exercises may even cause falls and so increase your risk of fractures. Those with osteoporosis and the elderly can put themselves at greater risk of fractures if they start off a rigorous exercise regime without consulting a doctor or physician.

Every exercise should be tailored to suit your needs and abilities. Approximately 30 minutes of exercise on most days of the week is generally recommended, but if you have low bone mass, are over the age of 50, or osteoporotic, you should seek professional advice before starting an exercise routine.

Be wary of common exercise pitfalls like laziness or time constraints. Exercise can be incorporated in your daily lives to suit your needs and lifestyle so it doesn’t have to be a chore. Be creative and make sure you enjoy doing it. That way, you will be more likely to continue doing it instead of putting in a half-hearted effort.

Building healthy bone is a life-long commitment and physical activity can go a long way in helping you achieve it. Whether you’re at home, work, or school, you can incorporate exercise to suit your lifestyles. In the end, what matters is that you get moving and that you enjoy the benefits for life.

Working out

There are many ways to incorporate exercise into daily life. Here are some suggestions:

At work

• Use the stairs instead of the lift.
• Walk more by going to the restroom on the floor above you and take the stairs.
• Park a little further from your office so you can walk more.
• Go offline and deliver documents to colleagues by hand instead of by email.
• Walk instead of driving when going out for lunch.

At home

• Use the stairs instead of the lift if you live in an apartment complex.
• Carry your laundry basket up and down the stairs.
• March in place whenever you’re stuck with doing chores such as washing the dishes or doing the laundry.
• Do some jumping jacks while watching television.
• Turn on some music and dance!
• Walk up and down the stairs as a form of exercise.

At school

• Use the restroom on a different level, or at the other end of your building.
• Earn brownie points while building strong bones by helping your teachers carry their things.
• Walk around school instead of sitting around while waiting for the first bell to ring.

The Star/Asia News Network

This article was contributed by the Osteoporosis Awareness Society of Kuala Lumpur as part of its Healthy Bone For Life programme and supported by educational grants from Fonterra Brands (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd and Rottapharm Madaus.

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WE breathe to live, and live by breathing. Breathing is regulated by the respiratory control centres located in the two lowest segments of the brain stem. Our minds and will can override the rhythms generated by these control centres.

The autonomic nervous system consists of a vast network of neurons that controls viscera, blood vessels, and glands throughout the body. Interestingly, research shows that breathing can influence the autonomic nervous system. Slow, soft and deep breathing will reduce blood pressure and achieve calmness.

The best breathing method to produce a beneficial effect on the autonomic nervous system is 2:1 breathing; take twice the time to exhale as to inhale. This method allows our lungs to fill to its full total lung capacity. This method of breathing is one of the qigong breathing methods, called Qigong Normal Abdominal Breathing method that is taught in traditional qigong training for health improvement.

Breathing exercises are the best and simplest way to reduce anxiety, agitation and stress, and for promoting relaxation, calm and inner peace.

Too much attention on upsetting thoughts may cause anxiety, guilt and unhappiness. Get in the habit of shifting your awareness to your breath whenever you find yourself stressed.

One breathing exercise I highly recommend is the 3-3-6-3 breath. It is very simple, requires no equipment and can be done anywhere. Although you can do the exercise in any position, sit with your back straight while learning the exercise. Place the tip of your tongue against the upper palate just behind your upper front teeth, and keep it there throughout the entire exercise. You will inhale and exhale using the nose. Keep your breathe slow, gentle and soft.

1. Close your mouth and inhale through your nose to a mental count of three.
2. Hold your breath for a count of three.
3. Exhale completely through your nose to a count of six.
4. Hold your breath for a count of three.
5. This is one breathe. Now inhale again and repeat the cycle five more times for a total of six breathes.

Note: that the tip of your tongue stays in position the whole time.

Exhalation takes twice as long as inhalation. If you have difficulty holding your breath, speed the exercise up but keep to the ratio of 2:1 for exhalation and inhalation. With practice you will get used to extending your inhaling and exhaling longer and deeper.

Practise at least twice a day. Without supervision or consultation by a qualified qigong Master, do not do more than six breaths at once for the few weeks of practice. Later, if you wish, you can extend it to twelve breaths. If you feel a little lightheaded when you first breathe this way, do not be concerned. Eventually, you will change your breathing pattern to this way through out the day.

Breathing is one of the basic techniques of qigong practice. Practitioners use different methods to achieve different results. The most popular and commonly use methods are: normal breathing, also called chest breathing; normal abdominal breathing; reverse abdominal breathing; embryonic breathing; skin breathing; and third eye breathing.

Each method has its specific purpose. In medical qigong, normal abdominal breathing is commonly used for healing purposes. In this method of breathing, the abdomen expands when you inhale and withdraws when you exhale.

Qigong normal abdominal breathing is also commonly known as Dan Tian breathing. It consists of five types of breathing methods namely, Fu, Chui, Tu, Pi and Si. Each has its purpose as described below.

1. Fu breathing is the basic and most important of the above breathing techniques. It is for circulation (energy and blood); aids relaxation; stimulates the nervous system to maintain cerebral balance; and facilitates meditation and relaxation.
2. Chui breathing lowers and balances blood pressure and heart rate and relieves general tension. It also stimulates the heart and lungs.
3. Tu breathing is most beneficial for the kidney, liver, spleen and immune systems. Also helps to relieve lower back pain.
4. Pi breathing stimulates the cardiovascular, respiratory and digestive systems.
5. Si breathing stimulates the thyroid and thymus gland, improving the immune system.

Each of the above breathing methods also activates one of the five elements, Metal, Wood, Water, Fire or Earth. We shall discuss in more detail in the next article on how to use each of the elements for healing purposes.

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