Look After Your Bones
World Osteoporosis Day
It's just around the corner. And in honour of it, Complete Pilates will be publishing a series of blogs about the importance of bone health.
First in our series is this post from Physiotherapist, Clinical Pilates teacher and our head of business development, Ruth Smith.
Osteoporosis is a major worldwide health issue. In this country, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men over the age of 50 will suffer an osteoporotic break of a bone. These breaks can be life-threatening and a major cause of pain and disability, particularly as we get older.
But few people understand the extent of the health threat that osteoporosis poses. So, we’ve committed to tell more people about bone health by taking this pledge: https://theros.org.uk/get-involved/take-the-pledge/
Find out more about why you too should take the pledge by reading on. Below you’ll discover all about osteoporosis, how to keep your bones healthy and what professionals like us can do to support this aspect of your health.
Take Action Now, Whatever Your Age!
Strong bones and muscles can help to prevent breaks and help you remain mobile and active as you age. This is an important factor in maintaining quality of life. For women over the age of 45, osteoporosis accounts for more days in hospital than many other diseases such as breast cancer, diabetes and heart attacks. When it comes to major breaks such as a broken hip, there is a very high incidence of loss of physical independence and need for care input at home.
Exercise For Strong Bones
However, you can prevent osteoporosis and broken bones. A bone-healthy lifestyle can help to prevent breaks, and this can be started at any age. Taking regular exercise that loads your bones such as walking, dancing or tennis etc. helps to increase bone strength. In fact, the best time to start this is age 11 when our bones are building up most of their density! So, have the conversation with the pre-teens in your life!
Muscle strength and good balance are vital in supporting your bones and ensuring you reduce the risk of falls. Falls account for the majority of broken bones. This means that if you can help to prevent falls, you can help to prevent breaks – simple!
A Good Diet Is Essential For Bone Health
Alongside exercise, a bone-healthy diet is vital to keep bones strong and healthy. So, ensure you include plenty of calcium, protein and vitamin D alongside other bone-health nutrients in your diet. It’s also important to avoid excessive alcohol, caffeine, carbonated drinks and smoking because these can all damage bone health.
The International Osteoporosis Foundation Campaign gives these 5 steps to healthy bones and a fracture-free future:
- Exercise regularly.
- Ensure a diet rich in bone-healthy nutrients.
- Avoid negative lifestyle habits.
- Find out whether you have risk factors.
- Get tested and treated if needed.
Risk Factors: Make Sure You Know The Risk Factors For Osteoporosis And Fractures.
Some you can’t change such as:
- Gender
- Age
- Ethnicity
- Family history
- Certain medical disorders
- Certain medications
However, there are a lot that you can change:
- Smoking
- Insufficient exercise
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- Low body mass index
- Poor nutrition
- Vitamin D deficiency
- Frequent falls
Take this ‘are you at risk?’ questionnaire on the National Osteoporosis society now.
How Can Physiotherapy And Clinical Pilates Help?
Physiotherapists and Clinical Pilates Instructors are able to discuss your risk factors with you, and assess your muscle strength, mobility and balance. We will look at your current exercise profile. Then, using our assessment findings, we will put together an effective and safe exercise programme focusing on bone health.
These programmes will usually focus on strengthening the anti-gravity muscles – the calves, glutes, spinal extensors and triceps in the upper body. These muscles help to keep your body upright by maintaining good posture and supporting your bones. Hunched spines for people with osteoporosis are more likely to suffer breaks and reduce your quality of life. This makes exercising to maintain posture and a well-aligned spine vital.
Clinical Pilates is an also effective in this respect. This is because it is a form of exercise known for maintaining good posture and strengthening the supportive muscles around your spine and hips. As a low-impact form of exercise, it is also complements strength training or impact sports to create a balanced workout.
For those suffering with an osteoporotic bone break, Physiotherapy and Pilates together can be effective for symptom relief. A combination of these two methods will also help rehabilitate you so that you can return to full activity levels.
Related reading: The benefits of Pilates for seniors
Want To Know More About Osteoporosis?
If you have concerns about osteoporosis, talk to a Clinical Pilates instructor. Our team at Complete Pilates are all trained to safely treat clients with concerns regarding their bone health. We can create manageable, appropriate, on-going exercise plans to keep you healthy and fracture-free. We are also able to refer you to other specialist partners if we feel you are at higher risk and need further investigations or medical input.
- You can also complete an easy online fracture risk assessment at https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/FRAX/
- You can find out more about osteoporosis at www.nos.org.uk or www.iofbonehealth.org
Look out for our upcoming blogs on how to exercise for bone health! If you are worried about a diagnosis of osteoporosis and want to talk to someone just get in touch. Otherwise book today to see how we can help you on your exercise journey.
Key Takeaways
- Osteoporosis is a major health issue, with osteoporotic fractures causing pain, disability and loss of independence, particularly as we age.
- Bone health matters at every age. Building and maintaining strong bones through exercise, nutrition and healthy habits can help reduce the risk of fractures later in life.
- Weight-bearing exercise and strength training are key, as activities that load the bones can help improve bone strength, muscle function and balance.
- Falls prevention is essential, because many osteoporotic fractures happen as a result of falling.
- Physiotherapy and Clinical Pilates can support bone health, by improving posture, strength, mobility, balance and confidence with movement.
Conclusion
Osteoporosis can have a significant impact on quality of life, especially when it leads to fractures, pain or reduced independence. However, there is a lot that can be done to support bone health and reduce fracture risk.
Regular weight-bearing exercise, strength work, good nutrition and healthy lifestyle choices all play an important role in keeping bones strong. It is also important to understand your personal risk factors and seek advice if you are concerned.
Physiotherapy and Clinical Pilates can help by creating safe, individualised exercise programmes that focus on strength, posture, balance and mobility. Whether you are trying to prevent osteoporosis or manage an existing diagnosis, the right support can help you stay active, confident and independent.
Feeling inspired
If you want to experience the Complete difference and discover the benefits of one-to-one or small group Pilates, book a session at one of our London or Norfolk studios today. Not able to make it to one of our studios? We've got online options to suit you anywhere, anytime.
Our physiotherapist-led Pilates studio in Chelsea, our Angel Pilates studio, our Pilates studio in City, and our Norfolk Pilates studio in East Anglia, offer a highly tailored approach to your Pilates training. Whether your goal is to manage a health condition, rehabilitate from an injury or to improve your strength and fitness, Complete Pilates is the studio for you.
Education is key
These blogs are designed to give information to everyone, however, it is important to remember that everyone is different! If you have not seen one of our therapists and have any questions about injuries, what you have read or whether this may be useful to you, please just ask. We are more than happy to help anyone and point you in the right direction. Our biggest belief is that education is key. The more you understand about your injury, illness and movement, the more you are likely to improve.
If you are not sure whether this is for you, simply get in touch. We are here to help!
FAQs
What is osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a condition where bones become less dense, making them more likely to break, especially if you fall. These fractures most commonly affect areas such as the hip, spine and wrist.
Can exercise help prevent osteoporosis?
Yes, regular weight-bearing, impact and strengthening exercise can help support bone health. Activities such as walking, dancing, tennis and resistance training can help load the bones and encourage strength. Exercise types like Pilates can help with your stability and balance in order to prevent falls and therefore reduce your risk of fracture.
Why is balance important for osteoporosis?
Balance is important because many osteoporotic fractures happen after a fall. Improving balance, strength and coordination can help reduce falls risk and therefore reduce the chances of breaking a bone.
Is Pilates good for osteoporosis?
Clinical Pilates can be helpful for people with osteoporosis or those at risk of osteoporosis because it improves posture, spinal strength, balance, mobility and muscle control. Importantly, the exercises should be adapted to the individual and their bone health status. This means that there will be some exercises which are better for you to do and some which you may want to avoid because the reward of them is not as high as others.
What lifestyle factors affect bone health?
Bone health can be affected by exercise levels, diet, vitamin D, calcium and protein intake, smoking, alcohol intake, body weight and certain medical conditions or medications. Understanding your risk factors can help you take steps to protect your bones.
Published 9 Oct 2018 · Updated 8 Jul 2026