Physical Activities

Keep Doing These Daily Physical Activities For Healthy Bones

Have you been told you have osteopenia or osteoporosis and are looking for ways to strengthen your bones? Are you looking for a routine you can do to keep your bones healthy and stay active simultaneously? You may benefit from a home strengthening program tailored to your personal goals.

At Rebound Physical Therapy, our physical therapists are up to date on the most advanced strategies for rehabilitation, prevention, and how to use strengthening to ensure your health and well-being.

Multiple research studies have demonstrated how important strength and conditioning exercises are for all aspects of physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Our physical therapists use strength training programs to help our patients prevent injuries, recover after injuries and maintain healthy bones and bodies.

Strength training not only helps improve your ability and tolerance to everyday activities, but it is also one of the most important methods to protect the health of your bones so you can stay active and enjoy a healthier quality of life.

At Rebound Physical Therapy, our physical therapists go above and beyond traditional physical therapy strategies to help our patients. We are highly trained in the most advanced techniques and methods, utilizing strength and conditioning strategies in our clinic and as part of our recommendations for home exercise programs.

Request an appointment today with one of our specialists to learn more about how we use strengthening exercises to help our patients achieve the best possible results!

How bone health affects our physical abilities

Having strong bones is essential for our overall physical capabilities. When our bones become weak, we are more susceptible to injuries that can significantly impair our physical abilities and increase our risk of hospitalization and death.

Special bone cells are found in all the body’s bones that regulate our bones’ health and strength. These cells are called osteoclasts (cells that break down bone) and osteoblasts (cells that make new bone). When in balance, we have strong, healthy bones, but when new bone creation doesn’t keep up with old bone breakdown, our bones weaken and become more susceptible to breaking.

Impaired bone mineral density and overall bone quality put the individual at risk for a low-trauma fracture. This is why some people with mild, seemingly insignificant incidents end up experiencing a broken bone. Another major concern of bone weakness is the significant risk of impaired mobility, falls, and overall independence.

Fortunately, at Rebound Physical Therapy, our physical therapists can help identify any limitation or weakness affecting your function and give you the tools to build the strength of your bones and reduce your risk of serious injury!

What to expect at your physical therapy sessions

Our physical therapists are trained to use strengthening to ensure your bones and body’s health and safety. We will start with a thorough evaluation to identify all the factors contributing to your function and bone health.

This will include a medical history to understand more about previous injuries, nutritional habits, and medical conditions contributing to poor bone health. We will use this information to develop a comprehensive program that emphasizes building your strength and improving your ability to get and stay physical therapy.

This will include education and instruction on weight-bearing exercises to perform at home. An essential part of strengthening at home is that they are performed against gravity. Our bones are stimulated more when we perform exercises in an upright position. Being upright stimulates bone-making, and osteoblasts, to produce stronger healthier bones.

We recommend the following exercises to perform each day to ensure the health of your bones:

Walking routine: Walking is one of the most effective ways to exercise daily and keep the bones healthy. If you have yet to walk regularly, start with a 15-20 minute walk every day and work your way up to a 30-45 minute or longer walk.

Chair squats:

  1. Stand in front of a solid chair (armrests are OK), sit down, and then stand right back up.
  2. Perform ten repetitions in a row and add five repetitions every week until you can do 30 or more in a row.
  3. If you find it too easy, hold onto a small weight at your chest to challenge your muscles.

Standing backbends:

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder width or more apart and your hands on the small of your lower back.
  2. Start by leaning backward and go as far as you can safely.
  3. If you are concerned about losing your balance, stand with your back against a countertop in your kitchen to perform this exercise.

Back bends are one of the most effective and safe exercises to stimulate the bones in your lower back. Too often, people want to bend forward to stretch their leg muscles, but bending forward for people with weak bones, can lead to an injury and possibly a fracture.

Our team recommends buying a weight vest to wear around your home while doing your usual daily chores. A weight vest is an easy way to increase the loading on your bones to stimulate their ability to build strong bones. Weight vests distribute weight through the spine, hips, and pelvis, common areas for osteopenia and osteoporosis to start in the body.

At Rebound Physical Therapy, our physical therapists will teach you how to find your proper posture and use appropriate body mechanics to ensure your safety at home. Our programs are individually designed to assist you in a safe return to daily activities and beyond!

Request an appointment at Rebound Physical Therapy today!

At Rebound Physical Therapy, our physical therapists will use the exercises and strength training to help you build your bone health and improve your overall function simultaneously!

Request an appointment with one of our specialists to see how strength training can help you! Call us!

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