Osteoporosis is a serious disease that will affect 50% of women, that’s one out of two, pretty high odds and even better reason to learn as much about preventing this debilitating disease at an early age before becoming part of a sad statistic simply because of a lack of information on the subject.

What is osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is from the Greek origin, meaning “passages through bones”. We are made up of two types of bone; cortical (hard) and cancellous (spongy). The spongy part of the bone is most affected by osteoporosis. The areas of the body that have the highest percentage of the spongy type of bone include the vertebrae of the spine, the hip, and the wrist. These are the high risk areas of the body for fractures.

How does the bone get so thin?
Thinning of the bone occurs when old bone is removed into the bloodstream faster than new bone is added. After age 30, bone resorption begins to exceed bone formation this rapidly increases during the first years of menopause and continues into the post menopausal years. As we age, it is assumed that a certain amount of bone density will be lost. Developing osteoporosis depends on how much bone mass we lose and how much we had to begin with. Herein lies the key to prevention you can build up a surplus of bone density before the bone loss starts.

What are the risk factors?
Gender, women have a greater chance of developing osteoporosis, although, 12% of men will suffer bone fractures from this disease after the age of 50.
Age,the older you are the greater the risk
Genetics, small Boned women
Ethnicity, Caucasian and Asian women are at a higher risk, African American second
Menopause, Hypertension, Over-Exercising, Lack of exercise,poor nutrition, carbonated beverages, caffeine, alcohol, and smoking are included in a partial list of risk factors. The point being there are quite a few to take note of and some you have the ability to change.

What are the symptoms of Osteoporosis?
Usually there are no symptoms hence it is not paid attention to till it’s to late. Periodically, loss of height and chronic back pain which is usually diagnosed as a vertebral fracture. It is considered a silent disease and the many fractures it causes can lead to irreversible deformities.

What are the chances of this disease becoming more prevalent in the future?
Osteoporosis is showing up at an unsettling rate in younger women due to inactive lifestyles, unhealthy diets, and some birth control methods. The opportunity is now to impress upon the young women of today that the quality of life in their future starts with creating good habits of physical fitness and proper nutrition as well as asking their doctor about any medications they may be taking that might lead to bone loss.

Should you be tested?
You should be tested if you have one or more of the risk factors listed. You are post menopausal. You have a family history of osteoporosis. You have chronic back pain that you don’t feel is due o exercise. You have broken bones after age 40. This might be due to osteopenia meaning low bone density. There are quite a few other medical conditions that can lead to bone loss so it is a good idea to check with your physician to investigate your risk factor. (REMEMBER statistics show ONE OUT OF TWO WOMEN WILL HAVE OSTEOPOROSIS)

What are preventive measures for osteoporosis?
Building up a surplus of bone density before bone loss starts is a great place to begin. This can be accomplished by making sure you are exercising on a regular basis building and maintaining lean muscle mass. Exercise against resistance using gravity or weights. Place stress on your muscles which will in turn signal the bones to build up in order to add support to sustain the muscles. There are so many avenues to explore in today’s fitness programs it should be easy to find one or two that you enjoy and will stick with. It is essential that you make exercise an important part of your life. Nutrition is key as well. You need to make sure you are following a sound basic food group diet. In this case going back to the old school of portion control in each of your basic food groups far out weighs fad diets that may lead to poor nutrition and bone loss. Strong bones and a healthy smile are usually taken for granted in our younger years, yet they are beautiful features of your healthy body that need your diligent attention. It is well known that calcium is important in building strong bones and teeth, but few of us remember that calcium is constantly required to retain those healthy bones. Believe it or not a small percentage of fat is essential to a healthy diet so why not save those calories for calcium loaded ice cream, milk shake or yogurt. If it is hard for you to maintain a calcium rich diet then a calcium supplement and essential vitamins to help with the transportation and absorption of the calcium into bone. Vitamins B6, D and magnesium all act as catalysts to help calcium become bone. Having strong healthy bones is something we all want and need to protect in order to enjoy a full life. As life expectancy increases so does the need to maintain the great machine that is our body.

I recently found out that my mother has osteopoosis and her mother also had osteoporosis. My grandmother died of complications after a fall caused by a fractured hip. This was my wake up call. I hope reading this article will cause others to care enough about themselves to start preventive measures or if you already have osteopoenia or osteoporosis to seek the proper help from a physician and to find safe exercise to prevent such fractures.

Source: Osteo-Pilates, by Karena Thek Lineback
I thank Karena for writing this book. It answered so many questions and helped me complete my preventive lifestyle.

Written by Leah C. Sine
20 year career as a certified personal trainer and health club manager
5 years as a senior fitness specialist
going on 8 years as a certified pilates instructor

A form of exercise originally created by Joseph H. Pilates in the early 1920′s, Pilates concentrates on working the smaller, weaker internal muscles as well as the stronger exterior muscles. Pilates starts at the core of the body; our abdominal, back, and buttocks muscles. These are some of the weakest muscles in our body yet they house and protect our most vital organs. Pilates works the entire body as a whole unit but, always pulls it’s strength and concentration from the core outward to the extremities.

Breathing
Diaphragmatic or lateral breathing plays a large part in learning the Pilates technique. It also stimulates oxygen flow throughout the body helping to detoxify the system. Pilates increases lung capacity and flexibility in the intracostal muscles teaching ease of breathing throughout each exercise performed causing the exercises to become very aerobic. In the more advanced levels of Pilates a person should be able to maintain their target heart rate through the majority of the workout.

Results
Pilates is not about lifting heavy weights, going through countless repetitions, jumping up and down, or creating pounding stresses which compact the vertebra of the spine and other joints that we need to function in our daily lives. Pilates shapes a body into a well balanced structure of incredible core strength, endurance, flexibility, enhanced lung capacity, and lean lengthened muscle mass without joint or back injury or pain. Pilates exercises can be modified for any physical condition, no two workouts are alike, and they are designed toward each individual’s needs and goals.

What about weight training?
Gyms and fitness centers with weight machines or fast-circuit training routines concentrate on the muscles that are already strong. Those muscles get stronger and shorter through the constant contractions of weight lifting. The weaker muscles remain weak or only respond marginally. This creates an imbalance of strength in the body and an unbalanced body is just an injury waiting to happen. Statistics show that the most common injuries occur in the back, even in people who feel they are fit because of regular exercise. It is also a fact that if you are unaware of an imbalance in your body you may exercise yourself into greater instability causing permanent problems later on in life.

Posture and strength
Regular exercise routines once stopped do not last long. Muscle atrophy kicks in pretty fast and people feel that they have to start all over again. Exercising by controlling the movement and perfect form of the body, teaches you to restructure balancing your posture and strength. The results may take a little longer to achieve, but they will also last longer. If you stop your Pilates program, it will not disappear immediately, and when you start up again, it will feel as if you had only stopped yesterday.

The goal
The goal of the Pilates Method is to produce awareness and fluidity of movement that begins with an inner strength at the core of the body and radiates outward. Mind over body controls the movements you perform as second nature no matter what activity you are engaging in. The result is a healthy body that feels and looks good both inside and out!