subject: Start Exercising Now To Prevent Osteoporosis And Enjoy Your Later Years - Part 2 [print this page] The wisdom of engaging in regular and appropriate exercise as we age can be seen in the fact that balance and strength are improved with exercise. Since falling and the broken bones that often accompany a fall are much more common among the elderly, increasing our balance and strength are vital in order to protect against such mishaps.
For the best results, women should start exercising long before menopause. However, if you are already post-menopausal, you can still gain the bone building benefits of a regular weight-training program. Dr. George Kessler's Bone Density Program refers to "one study of people in their 80s and 90s living in nursing homes and who exercised with weight machines three times a week for just eight weeks and showed improvements in strength, balance and walking speed." So, it's never too late for you to lift just a few light weights and experience the bone-building benefits that come from regular "weight-bearing" exercise.
Many experts also agree that it is not necessary to spend hours and hours in the gym or lifting weights at home. Just 15 to 30 minutes, two or three times a week, can provide your bones with the additional density they need to prevent osteoporosis.
In conclusion, it's important that we all think about our future health. We all want to enjoy our later years as much as, or if not more than we have enjoyed our youth. Now is the time to start a regular "weight-bearing" exercise program that will keep your bones dense and strong, as well as help you to maintain and even improve your balance. Then you'll enjoy everything you worked so hard for when you retire.
Best Types of Exercise for Strengthening Your Bones
"Running and jogging
"Gymnastics
"Aerobics class - step, dance, and pump aerobics
"Weight lifting - dumbbells, barbells, machines, body weight exercises
