Exercises for ageing bones

Are you in (or approaching) your latter years and are wondering what you can do to ensure your bones stay strong through the next period of your life? As we age it is common to begin feeling the effects of years of ‘life’ on your body. Diseases like osteoarthritis (i.e. degeneration of joints) and osteoporosis (i.e. weakening of bones) are more common in the elderly population. But just because the figures show this, it doesn’t mean these diseases will affect your ability to lead a full and active life.

The good news is, there is plenty you can do now to reduce the risk of bone-related problems down the line. Read ahead for a few exercises you can perform regularly to keep you and your bones in tip-top shape!

Weight-bearing and resistance are key

It is widely accepted that to increase bone health, we need to stress the bones of the skeleton. The best way to do this is through weight-bearing exercises (i.e. exercises performed in an upright position with our legs impacting the ground). Resistance-type exercises are also beneficial in protecting the skeleton against the effects of ageing. ‘Resistance’’ implies an exercise that is performed against a force acting on the body. A simple example would be to compare walking through your house to walking through strong head-on winds. The wind pushing against the body is the resistance aspect.

When we exercise, forces acting on our muscles help to build strength. The forces placed upon the skeleton through the muscles help to activate special bone-building cells within the bones, and these help to maintain or build strength in the bones depending on the intensity of the exercise. In order to increase bone strength, we need to regularly push our bodies beyond the intensity of simple everyday tasks, like walking.

Age is a factor

Now, if you’re worried, we’re going to suggest a new gym membership and intense weight-lifting program, then rest easy. There are lots of things to consider, and age (as well as medical history) is a big factor when it comes to prescribing exercise. Someone who is 80 will need a different exercise regime compared to someone who is 55 when it comes to targeting bone health.

Try these Exercises for Ageing Bones

The following are simple weight-bearing exercises you could have a go at doing:
• Walking or jogging uphill
• Hiking across the countryside
• Stair climbing or step-ups
• A friendly game of tennis, badminton or squash
• Aerobics or dancing

You can add resistance to your exercise program by:
• Lifting weights (always start light so as to not overload the body)
• Exercising using cables or resistance bands (again, use light resistance, to begin with)

Everyone has different requirements, so we suggest giving us a call at 02 6681 6249 so we can create an individual program that is perfect for you.

References
• Hong, AR. and Kim, SW. 2018. Effects of resistance exercise on bone health. Endocrinology and metabolism. 33 (4). 435-444. Available from:link
• Benedetti, MG. et al. 2018. The effectiveness of physical exercise on bone density in osteoporotic patients. BioMed research international. v. 2018, 4840531, 10 pages. Available from: https://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2018/4840531/cta/
• Osteoporosis Australia. 2013. Exercise – consumer guide. [Online]. Available from: here [Accessed 06 Jun 2020]

A very common question we get asked at Foundation Health is “Do I need to wear a brace to help with my injury?” Well this is very much a ‘depends’ sort of answer. It depends on the injury, where along the injury process you are and your personal circumstances.

Let’s first outline the advantages of wearing a brace and give some examples of when you might need to wear one.

Braces are items we place on a body part, usually over and around a joint, to provide extra stability to that area. They come in different forms but are generally quite flexible and elastic to ensure they move with the body, whilst being strong enough to protect the joint simultaneously. Some braces are quite movable whilst others can lock a joint in a particular position.

When is it helpful?

The advantages of bracing include:
• Providing stability to an injured body part to aid with treatment, rehabilitation and return to sport or work scenarios
• Allowing faster healing by limiting movement at an injured body part
• Reducing pain by de-loading injured structures
• Can be easily put on and removed for any given situation
• Are widely available and affordable

A common injury where you may need to use a brace is in the early stages of a moderate to severe medial collateral ligament (MCL) sprain of the knee. Imagine your knee has been forced inward whilst your foot is planted on the ground. If the force is great enough, the ligament stretches, tears and the stability of the knee is compromised. In this case, a brace is helpful to stop the knee from falling inwards again, which would interrupt the healing of the ligament. As healing progresses, the brace can be used less frequently or removed altogether to allow for more movement and activity.

Other examples where a brace may be required include:

• Wrist and ankle sprains
• Tennis or golfer’s elbow
• Knee cruciate ligament sprains
• Pelvic instability (these are particularly helpful during pregnancy)
• For stabilisation and re-training of scoliosis cases (i.e. abnormal spinal curves)

When isn’t it helpful?

One of the most common negative effects of bracing that we see is over-reliance. When someone has injured their ankle playing netball, part of the rehab process to get them back on the court quickly may be to wear a brace to provide them with the confidence to play to their full potential without fear of re-injury. This is all well and good as long as they wean off using the brace as rehab progresses. Many people end up wearing the brace as a safety net for 6 months, a year, or even longer because they are scared of re-injury. If you rely on a brace for support, it means the body part that was injured won’t have the necessary forces placed through it to ensure a full recovery to a pre-injury state. This could affect many factors including muscle strength, ligament stability and the body’s ability to know where the joint is in space (a.k.a ‘proprioception’). In order to return to that state, it’s necessary to move and exercise completely unaided.

Other disadvantages include:
• Failure to achieve full joint range of motion post-injury
• Possible muscle wasting
• Increased loads placed on other body parts, which can risk another injury elsewhere

Our best advice to you is to never see a brace as a replacement for good movement and rehab. Always follow the advice of your practitioner as to when you should and shouldn’t wear a brace. If you have any doubts or questions, please call us on 02 6681 6249 to discuss.

References

1. Chen, L. et al. 2008. Medial collateral ligament injuries of the knee: current treatment concepts. Current reviews in musculoskeletal medicine. 1 (2). 108-113. Available from: here
2. Brukner, P. et al. 2017. Clinical Sports Medicine. 5th ed. Australia: McGraw Hill Education