The exercise you should do to improve bone health
Trish McNicholl is a Pilates practitioner and founder and owner of Adelaide Pilates Studio.
As women approach menopause, they experience many changes. Oestrogen hormone drop down and as a consequence of long term oestrogen deficiency, women are much more likely to experience osteoporosis, cardiovascular problems, musculoskeletal aches and pains and obesity. Physically, women experience fatigue due to decreased muscles mass and increased intramuscular fat and body aches and pains as pain threshold decreases. Connective tissue and skin changes are leading to vaginal atrophy and dryness. Hot flushes are frequent complaints from menopausal women but research shows that fewer physically active women experienced severe hot flushes compared with women who don’t exercise.
Our bones are continuously remodelling through the balancing act of bone resorption and new bone formation. Imbalance of this process can lead to frail, osteoporotic bones. For up to 25 years of our life we deposit more bone than we lose, however as we reach post menopause the loss of bone is greater than deposits of new bone. There is an increased risk of fractures. Women are at higher risk of osteoporosis with rapid descent of oestrogen through menopause.
Men on the other hand experience osteoporosis due to low levels of testosterone. The most common sites of osteoporotic fractures occur at the spine, hip and wrist joints. Osteoporosis is strongly linked to inherited genes, lifestyle such as smoking and alcohol intake and thin body build. A healthy diet also plays a significant role, as low calcium and vitamin D levels as well as disorders such as anorexia and bulimia and malabsorption issues cause loss of bone mass.
Supervised, well-chosen regular physical activity such as Pilates can significantly increase bone mineral density. So, keep well and keep active.
Check in with a certified Pilates studio that offers Pilates mat and equipment programs and if possible a physio on board, whereby you can be assessed and have the right program designed for you. Pilates has a specific focus on improving posture, core strength, alignment and balance with gentle exercises designed to relax tight and tense muscles in the body and provide circulation and stimulation to the central nervous system. Pilates will teach you so much about your body, helping you to understand which muscles are weak and which muscles are strong. Pilates can be taught to any age or fitness level and provides gentle and controlled movements. Some exercises can be challenging, however if you start by learning the basic important principles, and then continue to progress towards more challenging exercises, you will reap the rewards.
Joseph Pilates said, “In 10 sessions you will feel the difference, in 20 sessions you will see the difference and in 30 sessions, you will have a whole new body.” Experience how Pilates can benefit you.
If you have any questions about Pilates, Trish can be contacted by email at trish@adelaidepilatesstudio.com.au.