Due to medical/health reasons I now have to do strengthening exercises to stop osteoporosis. I have some exercises that I'm doing right now per the doctor's orders, with 5 lb wrist weights on. My question is I'd like to vary it out some, but not get a whole lot of equipment. I have dumbbells from 1 lb to 5 lb, as well as the wrist weights (which can be ankle weights also) and some resistant bands (mostly the least resistant one). I do squats, bicep curls, tricep curls and the one where you go over your head. I also do one where you keep your arm straight, to the side and raise and lower them with the weights. Oh, and I do leg raises and abd crunches on occasion. I don't need to build muscle, just do stuff to keep the bones from getting weak. Are there any other exercises I can do with what I have?
One word - kettlebell. Google it and youtube it - one piece of equipment that intuitive, safe, and works with your joints not against them. It increases strength, cardio, endurance, balance, etc. etc.
Make that three who agree. Kettlebells are awesome and completely scalable. There are exercises to target pretty much every inch of your body, but they are especially good at strengthening core muscle groups.
Will this kettlebell help build my BONES? Or rather, keep my bones from becoming thin and breakable? That is the area I have to really focus on now since I will be starting on a medication that sadly has a tendency to cause the bones to become thin.
Short answer, is yes. This is from the NIH website: All kettlebell exercises are both weight-bearing and muscle strengthening. However, you are under the care of a physician, specifically regarding this issue, so I think a conversation with him/her is in order. Any exercise program, with the exception of some that are high impact on the joints, should be useful to strengthening your bones, because exercise stimulates cell growth. So the key is to find something that you enjoy and won't cause other issues. That's where the conversation with the physician comes in. Kettlebell exercises are nice because they tend to incorporate aerobic exercise along with strengthening. So you would get a double benefit from that side of things.
That said if your doctor has never heard of kettle bells (they just started becoming popular about ten years ago) or they are very stubborn/set in their ways they might dismiss them as a dangerous fad. True lifting very heavy weights will build bone/muscle strength, but it's easy to lift too much and hurt yourself. With kettle bells incorporating your whole body using safe mechanics and leverage, you will get tired and winded long before any individual muscle gets overworked.
There are lots of exercises you can do without any equipment, using body weight. Press-ups, squats, lunges, crunches, planking, jumps...
To be honest, damage has occured (I'm sure your doctor has expressed this to you) the goal now is to stop future damage and maintain your calcium levels. I assume the doctor gave you dietary recommendations also? garment is correct, yoga is a excellent choice. Yoga or Pilates not only has promoted physical wellness but also mental wellness. when it comes to kinesiology never focus on just on the problem, more of the system as a whole. A growing trend in physical fitness is body builders attending yoga classes to stretch their muscles and improve flexibility. I have also witnessed marathon runners working on power cleans. Mixing routine is beneficial as long as it's done safely and within proper form. True story...... There is a woman in my body combat class who can run faster, further, lift more reps, and sweat less than me.......and she is 65 years olds. I also finished way behind her in a 5k, and was never more proud to be within sight of her running.
Actually the reason I have to watch out for bone weakening is because I'll be starting on a medication - second generation Tamoxifen (have a hell of a time remembering the name until I can see it) - and it has a real nasty side effect of thinning bones. So it's strengthening exercises as well as calcium and Vitamin D3. But I get bored easily so I wanted some variety with the exercises, as well as something that will really keep the bones strong