OSTEOPOROSIS: Exercise Plans to Improve Your Life

It is estimated that by the age of 50, one in two women and one in five men have broken a bone as a result of osteoporosis. There are even suggestions for hip protectors to cushion you if you have a fall, poor balance (exercises page 83 and 103), poor eyesight and hearing, dizziness, medication, footwear, slippery surfaces, steep stairs, poor lighting and cold houses, clutter and trailing wires, icy and dark weather. Know the risk factors and make changes, understand better hormones, ethnicity, blood type and body-fat levels, medication and medical conditions, and as you go reward the changes you make for short-term motivation. As we get older our bones become less dense and more prone to breaks and fractures and the condition is known as osteoporosis or 'brittle bone disease'. The good news is that it is possible to slow down the development of the disease whether you are at risk or already have been diagnosed, with a combination of exercise and healthy lifestyle choices. This will strengthen your bones and help you stay independent for longer. Exercise safely and at the right level and there even is included a range of seated and standing exercises, step-by-step instructions and clear illustrations. For standing in balance for example there is a calf raise, rhomboid squeeze between your shoulder blade, an upright rowing motion with cans of baked beans, bicep curls, and some of the exercises you can do as you walk around the park so you are nicely warmed up. Standing stretches for your hamstrings, quadriceps, calf, triceps, chest and there?s a cardiovascular workout which includes side steps and claps, leg curls, knee lifts with a twist, side squats like a plié of a ballet dancer, leg kicks like calf raising, standing behind a sturdy chair with your hands on the back of it and raising onto your toes, repeating 8-12 times. Lovely clear modern layout, 116pp in softback, colour photos.