A basic half-hour strength training routine geared toward those who are at risk for osteoporosis and who want to protect their bones. Estelle Underwood instructs.

Beginning exercisers, especially middle-aged (and slightly older) women who are concerned about osteoporosis. You will need 1 to 5-pound dumbbells, a stability ball and a chair. If you are working out on a hard, uncarpeted surface, you may also want a mat for the ending stretches.

There are some diseases — heart disease, cancer — that are outright killers, but isn't it even worse when a disease kills your quality of life? According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, in people over 50, one in two women and one in four men will at some point suffer an osteoporosis-related fracture. Such fractures are often crippling and may mark the beginning of a downward spiral for your self-sufficiency. I know about this personally; it happened to my grandmother, who eventually wound up in a nursing home. Part of the reason I am such a fitness nut is because osteoporosis runs in my family and I know that the more active I am, the better my chances are of avoiding my grandmother's fate. Weight-bearing exercise is especially important to manage your osteoporosis risk. If you haven't started weight training yet, and if you are in your 40s or 50s, then Bonejuvenate is an excellent place to start.

 

This DVD gives you exercises for every muscle group (weight training strengthens the bones the muscles are attached to, which is why a full body workout is so important), but is especially focused on the areas that are most at risk for a life-destroying fracture — your hips and spine. Underwood's cueing is careful and precise, perfect for those who are new to exercise. The stability ball adds an extra dimension to the moves, engaging supporting muscles and for a couple of exercises in particular, offering a balance challenge (fractures among the elderly are usually caused by a fall, so balance work is important). This workout is great for people who either never have worked with weights, or haven't worked out in a long time. You do need to be healthy and mobile, as you will be getting up and down from the floor a couple of times. If you are already exercising with weights, you probably don't need this DVD, although Underwood does offer a few good bone-enhancing spins on traditional moves. Anyone concerned with bone health will benefit from this workout — if you outgrow it, pass it along to someone else who's at risk.

 

 

Name

Email

Title

Comment

smaller | bigger

Subscribe via email (Registered users only)

I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment