Strength training against osteoporosis

Tips for strength training against osteoporosis

Strength training is a good way to treat osteoporosis, or even prevent it before it starts. The question is which exercises work best and how to design an individual training plan. In the guide below, you'll learn what optimal strength training for treating and preventing osteoporosis looks like.

Strength training for treating osteoporosis

While exercise strengthens the muscles, strength training can also help strengthen the bones, giving them greater stability. If you already have osteoporosis, training is essential so the condition doesn't get any worse. Before you start strength training against osteoporosis, think about which form of training you want to do.

Choosing the type of training

According to numerous studies, osteoporosis patients get the best results from strength training that uses around 60 to 80 percent of their maximum strength. It also wouldn't make sense to jump straight into a more strenuous programme, since training should be increased slowly and steadily. Useful exercises include light impact loading or jumps, for example. Swimming, on the other hand, isn't suitable, since it puts hardly any load on the bones.

Osteoporosis patients have usually not been physically active for some time, so they should start out with light exercises. Depending on how quickly they progress, the intensity of these exercises can be increased steadily over time.

Strength training for osteoporosis - structure

This section presents a detailed training plan that can be used both to treat and to prevent osteoporosis.

1. General training

The first phase of training consists of general, very simple exercises. These can include, for example, the leg press or the leg extension machine. It's also a good idea to go for a short walk during this phase. Depending on whether you're already resilient or not, this general phase can be short or long. It also depends on how comfortable you feel doing the exercises.

2. Strength training with dumbbells

The next phase isn't suitable for everyone. Older osteoporosis patients in particular often find strength training with dumbbells or barbells difficult. If you've been getting on well with general training so far, moving on to dumbbells usually won't be a problem. Dumbbell training includes various exercises that can also be done with a trainer. These include, for example, squats, lunges or deadlifts. These exercises work large muscle groups at the same time. As you progress, other exercises can gradually be added to your strength training against osteoporosis.

Increasing the load

Once you've picked up good technique for dumbbell training, you can start increasing the load. The right time to do this can vary from one osteoporosis patient to another, so no general rule applies here. In this phase too, make sure you're not using more than 60 to 80 percent of your maximum strength. Ideally, you have a trainer or physiotherapist you can discuss increasing the load in detail with.

Criteria for increasing the load

There are, however, some criteria you can use to work out for yourself whether you can increase the load in your strength training or not. First, you can find out how advanced your osteoporosis already is. A doctor can use an X-ray to give you detailed information about the degeneration in your joints and spine. Regardless of what stage your osteoporosis is at, training can of course be done at any point. However, your current condition does affect the intensity of your strength training.

Another important factor is your own motivation. Pay attention to whether you've understood everything your trainer or physiotherapist is trying to explain. If you notice that you're lacking the motivation needed to do certain exercises, you should communicate this clearly too. Without strong motivation, lasting success against osteoporosis is extremely difficult. It can also happen that the recommended exercises are far too hard for you. The resulting pain then gets in the way of successful strength training. This, too, should be communicated clearly to your trainer.

How to carry out the training

Finally, let's answer the question of how often you should do strength training per week. Ideally, training against osteoporosis takes place 3 times a week. That said, the exercises don't have to be done intensively every single time.

Conclusion: strength training against osteoporosis can be difficult

It isn't easy to fight or prevent osteoporosis with strength training. But once you push through and get past the first beginner exercises, it will lead to significantly better results in the long run than taking medication. Once you notice you can master the exercises without pain and without major strain, you can increase your load capacity step by step.

After training, you should then take in 20 g of high-quality protein each time.