A Balancing Act

Posted by Liz on Aug 22, 2008 in bone health | 0 comments

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8_qFFy6R6Q]

One of the biggest challenges of life is to keep it all in balance, right? This is ever more important as we age and our bones start to thin. Postmenopausal women are three times likelier to fall than men who are the same age. This is due, at least in part, to declining estrogen levels, which not only affect postural stability but also the speed at which spacial information is processed by the brain.

Researchers now say that moderate amounts of exercise may significantly improve balance in postmenopausal women who suffer from osteoporosis.

In this study, 28 postmenopausal women participated in twice-weekly, 30 minute sessions on the treadmills over a month-long period. At the study’s end, significant improvements were seen in all balance tests.

The researchers say that this suggests that exercise is valuable in younger postmenopausal women for reducing fracture risk, risk of falls and reaction time. Walking at a fast pace is one of the safest ways to achieve results.

Check out these earlier posts for additional tips on how to achieve better bone health.  I don’t believe that any of us will end up on a double high wire after an intensive treadmill workout but I do believe that we can all benefit from improved balance!