Weight Bearing Exercise for Osteoporosis Using Pilates

Traditionally weight bearing exercise for osteoporosis has been associated with high impact or weight bearing activities such as walking, running, jumping rope, step aerobics, and weight lifting with machines or free weights.

These exercises are fine for preventing Osteoporosis in an apparently healthy person.

For the aging population, who already have porous bones, arthritis, and other joint and bone degeneration they may be at higher risk for fractures and breaks with these high impact activities.

Eight million women in the U.S. have osteoporosis, which means “porous bones.”

Normally, up until age 35 are bones continually break down and rebuild.

After 35 years the bones begin to weaken faster than they can rebuild. In some cases it happens quicker than others and puts that individual at a higher risk of bones breaking and fracturing, particularly the spine, hips, and wrists.

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Weight bearing exercise for osteoporosis is key to increasing your bone density. You can stimulate weight bearing with activities that absorb impact or provide resistance.

Why Pilates for Osteoporosis?

Generally speaking Pilates is viewed as a non-weight bearing exercise for osteoporosis because of its low impact nature and positions of lying or rolling around on an exercise mat.

Pilates can be a weight bearing exercise for osteoporosis because it stimulates bones to strengthen by pulling and putting resistance on the muscles that surround them.

Pilates is a perfect weight bearing exercise for the older adult because it does not have the impact of other forms of exercise.

This means it is not as severe on the joints as most traditional workouts are.

I have successfully incorporated Pilates exercises into my clients routines and they say they feel better, are not as sore after workouts, and their bone density levels have either improved or maintained.

Pilates provides the older adult not only bone building weight bearing exercise for osteoporosis, but it also increases muscle elasticity and joint mobility which we lose as we age. This inflexibility contributes to loss of balance and falls as we age as well.

The exercises can be modified and performed in a sitting, lying, and partial weight bearing positions to accommodate all levels of clients.

Which Pilates Exercises are Beneficial for Osteoporosis?

Pilates requires the muscles to pull along the spine, especially when you are prone or lying on the stomach.

Exercises such as swimming, dart, and breaststroke are performed in the prone position and work to pull and strengthen the muscles along the spine.

The side kick series of Pilates exercises requires the muscles to pull along the femur and hip girdle helping to strengthen these bones.

Pilates works the body in a series of mid-range movements. Once you learn to control and stabilize in a small or mid-range of motion then you can progress into a larger range always challenging the body to work beyond what you thought possible. But, within safe and healthy limits.

What Exercises or Positions Should be Avoided?

When performing Pilates exercises for osteoporosis there are some things to avoid.

AVOID exercises that flex, bend, and twist at the spine. Specifically flexing the upper or thoracic area of the spine.

Neutral spine and doing exercises in spinal extension are appropriate and assist in bone loading safely for the spine.

To find out more about how to incorporate Pilates exercises into your regular exercise routine for osteoporosis check out the new Pilates ebook here that outlines special considerations for musculoskeletal conditions.

Or...

Find a certified Pilates instructor or studio near you.