Exercise

When it comes to building and maintaining strong and healthy bones, exercise is essential. Exercise also helps to increase muscle size, strength, balance and co-ordination. Exercise is also of benefit to general health and wellbeing, including protecting against heart disease, diabetes, dementia as well as improving the overall quality of life.

How does physical activity help build healthy bones?

Did you know that bones are living tissue and weight bearing physical activity causes new bone tissue to form? This is because because muscles push and pull against your bones which helps to make them stronger. Weight bearing exercise usually means you are on your feet too, so your legs have to carry your body weight. That’s why running and jumping are so good for your bones.

It is important to note that swimming and cycling are not weight-bearing activities, so they do not directly help build bones. But don’t despair, swimming and cycling do help to build strong muscles, and having strong muscles helps build strong bones. These activities are also good for the heart and for overall health, if this is what you love, don’t stop…just remember to add some weight bearing exercises to the mix to protect your bones.

Exercise by age group

In childhood, exercise helps to build strong and healthy bones

In adolescents and young adults it helps optimise muscle and bone strength

In adulthood exercise helps to prevent or slow bone loss, especially after age 50 for women

In seniors it also helps to improve balance and co-ordination, when then reduces the risk of falls and fractures

 Children

Children and teens aged 6-17 years should do a minimum of 60 minutes of physical activity every day. Short bursts of activity throughout the day can add up to the recommended total

Children and teens should participate in bone strengthening, or weight bearing activities at least 3 days each week

Younger children aged 2-5 should play actively several times every day

Adults

 Adults should aim to get 30 minutes of exercise at least 3 - 5 times a week

This should be a mixture of aerobic, eg walking or running and weight bearing exercise.

If you love to swim or ride, don’t despair and keep it up! Just remember to add some gentle weights or resistance activities into your weekly routine

If you haven’t exercised for a while, you can always start slow. Try 10 minutes of gentle walking and build up from there. Remember, it’s always best to check in with a medical professional before you start a new exercise regime

Seniors

Older adults bones are increasingly thin and fragile, especially after the age of 75

For seniors balance and mobility exercises become increasingly important . These forms of exercise may not specifically strengthen bones, however they can help to improve balance and coordination which can reduce your risk of falls and breakages.

Physiotherapists can be a great resource for exercises for older Australians