Osteoporosis is one of the most common health conditions affecting the elderly in India. This medical condition causes your bones to become weak and brittle, resulting in fractures if any stress is caused. Besides taking a proper diet to maintain a healthy bone structure, one also has to resort to specific exercises to increase strength, stimulate bone growth, increase bone density and prevent future bone thinning. However, there are specific considerations before you begin a workout regime, if you have osteoporosis. According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, people with osteoporosis have a high risk of developing broken bones and major fractures, especially in postmenopausal women and older men, when exercising.

What are the exercises you should avoid for osteoporosis?
Aiming for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio and muscle-strengthening activity each week can be helpful for most people.
There are three main exercises you should avoid when you have osteoporosis as they could be dangerous and cause bone thinning.
Which are the best exercises for osteoporosis?
Exercises best known for osteoporosis stimulate bone growth. “Bone growth is stimulated through applying a load on the bone as a result of body weight or the pull of a muscle during resistance exercise, such as exercises using light weights or resistance bands,” as per Dr Johnson. These exercises include: walking, climbing, bodyweight exercises like push-ups, squats, lunges and planks, elliptical training, dancing, pilates, yoga, and resistance band moves. However, according to Mayo Clinic, swimming and cycling might have plenty of perks, they don’t have enough body-bearing load to build bone density.
What to eat for strong bones
Besides milk, there are other plant-based sources of calcium that can help you maintain healthy bones. These are turnip greens. One cup of it contains 200 mg of calcium.
One tablespoon of sesame seeds contains 146 mg of calcium. Other foods that contain calcium are soybeans, mustard greens, and okra. Apart from calcium, other nutrients are also important for bone health. Magnesium: “Your body needs magnesium to maintain bone health and not getting enough magnesium in your diet could increase your risk of developing osteoporosis,” wrote Lovneet Batra. Vitamin K: This vitamin is necessary for the function of proteins involved in bone formation and maintenance.
Zinc: The dietician wrote, “Zinc is needed for proper bone growth and maintenance, and it also promotes bone regeneration. Low levels of zinc have been associated with postmenopausal osteoporosis.”