Millions of people with osteoporosis should not be afraid to exercise regularly, experts have said in guidance aimed at boosting bone health, cutting the risk of falls and improving posture.
The condition, which weakens bones and makes them more likely to break, affects more than 3 million people in the UK and more than 150 million worldwide.
The most common injuries are a broken wrist, hip and spinal bones. More than 500,000 people receive hospital treatment for fragility fractures every year on the NHS as a result of osteoporosis.
Until now, there has not been any UK guidance on exercise and osteoporosis. There is some in the US, Australia, and Canada but even that is incomplete.
Regular exercise strengthens bones, reduces the risk of fractures and falls, and improves posture, as well as bolstering overall mental and physical health, experts say, which is why it is important that people with osteoporosis do not miss out.
But uncertainties about what type of physical activity is safe, particularly later in life or when bones have significantly weakened, have left doctors uncertain what to recommend and deterred some patients from regular activity.
In an attempt to clear up the confusion, a multidisciplinary panel of experts reviewed existing evidence and drew on clinical and patient opinion to reach agreement on recommendations to maximise bone health while minimising fracture risk.
The resulting consensus statement, endorsed by the Royal Osteoporosis Society, has been published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
People with the condition should be encouraged to do more rather than less, it says, by undertaking an exercise routine that focuses on muscle strengthening on two to three days a week and brief bursts of moderate-impact activities, such as jogging, aerobics or Zumba on most days.
And for those who have previously sustained a vertebral fracture or who are frail/elderly, the advice is to include lower-impact exercise up to the level of brisk walking for 20 minutes a day.
The chair of the panel, Dawn Skelton, a professor of ageing and health at Glasgow Caledonian University, said: “Anyone who is new to regular physical activity, worried about their technique or unsure how to build their fitness can seek advice from any trained exercise instructor. Those with a history of falls or serious concerns about their balance can contact their local falls service.”
