Important of exercise

Important of exercise

Regular exercise at any time in your life is good for your heart, muscle tone, flexibility and coordination. In children and young adults, exercise may actually build stronger bones. After peak bone mass is reached, exercise plays an important role in maintaining bone mass. Exercise builds strength, improves posture, promotes balance to prevent falls and increases muscle mass to cushion bones in the event of a fall. Seniors, people with medical conditions, and those with physical disabilities can benefit from supervised exercise. To ensure your safety, consult your medical professional before beginning an exercise program. This is especially important if you have (or have a history of) a medical condition or if you have been diagnosed with osteoporosis and/or fracture. If you have osteoporosis and/or fracture, it would be beneficial to get a prescription from your medical professional for a physical therapy consultation before starting your exercise program. Taking these precautions will help make sure that your exercise program follows principles of safe movement while you promote healthy bones.

An ideal program combines weight-bearing, muscle-strengthening, postural and balance exercises. Weight-bearing exercise is any physical activity in which your body works against gravity. It simply means that your feet and legs are supporting or carrying your weight. This type of exercise builds bone mass in youth and maintains it in adulthood. Some examples of weight-bearing exercises include walking, racquet sports, team sports, dancing and climbing stairs. Muscle strengthening exercises build muscle that helps support your bones. Lifting weights, using resistance bands and exercising on resistance machines are ways to strengthen muscle. Proper body alignment and postural training exercises promote correct posture and may help to minimize kyphosis (stooped posture) resulting from osteoporosis. Tai Chi is an example of a type of exercise that teaches balance and may be beneficial to reduce the risk of falling.