FERNWOOD FITNESS - PULSE eMagazine - Issue#11 - Flipbook - Page 19
Exercise, Bone Health
& Osteoporosis
BY PROF. BELINDA BECK | PHD, FACSM, FASBMR, ESSAF, FSMA FOR
EXERCISE & SPORTS SCIENCE AUSTRALIA
We Don’t Usually Think
About Our Bones Unless
They Break
Bone fractures during childhood
and young adulthood typically
result from accidents (like falling
during play or work) or risky
ac琀椀vi琀椀es (such as skiing or
contact sports).
In later life, fractures from
everyday ac琀椀vi琀椀es like
carrying groceries or picking
up a grandchild may indicate
osteopenia (lower than normal
bone mass) or osteoporosis
(very low bone mass). These are
called low (or minimal) trauma
fractures, meaning the force
causing the fracture was less
than what would normally break
a healthy bone. Without the
presence of low bone mass,
these fractures likely wouldn’t
occur or wouldn’t be as severe.
With severe osteoporosis, even
minor ac琀椀vi琀椀es like coughing
or a light stumble can cause
a fracture. Hip fractures lead
to the greatest disability and
decline in quality of life, though
vertebral fractures are more
common and cause signi昀椀cant
pain, height loss, and the
development of a ‘dowager’s
hump’ (an exaggerated upper
spine curvature) which
reduces mobility.
Risk Factors for Low
Bone Mass
Gene琀椀cs are the strongest
determinant of peak bone
mass. Other primary risk factors
include biological sex, ageing,
low body weight, and long-term
use of certain medica琀椀ons (such
as cor琀椀costeroids).
More women than men
experience low trauma
fractures because women
generally build less bone during
growth and lose more bone
mass as they age, especially
a昀琀er menopause due to
decreased oestrogen levels.
How to Optimise and
Increase Bone Mass
Adequate nutri琀椀on,
par琀椀cularly calcium and
vitamin D, is essen琀椀al for
skeletal health but alone isn’t
enough to prevent osteopenia
or osteoporosis.
The most cri琀椀cal strategy to
prevent low trauma fractures in
older age is—yes, you guessed
it—exercise! But not all exercise
bene昀椀ts bone health.
