Pilates and Osteoporosis – The Do’s

And here come the Do’s regarding osteoporosis.

Try not to get it in the first place! We rarely think about the future when we’re young too busy living. But, like our pension, our bones are something we should invest in before we start having problems with them. When you are eighteen, you can’t be bothered thinking about your pension. When you are fifty-eight you wish you had!

With osteoporosis, sometimes the scales are balanced against you, unfortunately. Being female, having a family history of osteoporosis, having a sedentary lifestyle and conversely, overtraining physically or being underweight, excessive smoking and drinking and poor diet (as in lack of calcium) all contribute. Well there’s not a lot you can do about the genetic side of it. I blame the parents! The other unchangeable factor is advancing age and going through the menopause, and I sure as hell wish I could find someone to blame for those.

So what can you do to guard against osteoporosis? Here are my 10 Commandments:

1. Thou Shalt Walk. Every day. Weight bearing exercise is ESSENTIAL.
2. Thou Shalt Strength Train. No, Ladies. You won’t develop muscles like Popeye!
3. Thou Shalt Get Thyself outside into the Fresh Air. Sunlight is essential for producing Vitamin D, which helps calcium absorption. Even on a grey, lousy, rainy day Mr Sunshine gets a ray or two through.
4. Thou Shalt Walk Some More!
5. Thou Shalt Do Exercises for Thy Balance and Coordination. Stand on 1 leg. Perfect.
6. Thou Shalt Come to Thy Pilates Class. Well I had to get that one in somewhere. Bob and I have to eat.
7. Thou Shalt Eat Dairy Products. Unless you have been diagnosed by a qualified dietician as being allergic to them. Far too many companies out there with far too few relevant qualifications will analyse your diet and recommend cutting out complete food groups DON’T DO IT!
8. Thou Shalt Eat Thy Spinach. And watercress, and every other dark coloured vegetable you come across. No, don’t say Bleah!. Bung watercress in your sarnies, spinach in your vindaloos and you’ll never know. Until your bowel gets out and goes home!
9. Thou Shalt Exercise on All Fours. Only way to build bone in wrists and arms.
10. Did I mention the walking??

Don’t tell yourself that getting osteoporosis is inevitable because it’s in your family, though. That’s an excuse to do nowt! There’s no direct genetic link, just a tendency. So do something. Join an exercise class or two, preferably one that uses little weights.