Jumping

@summera1 Everything I've read and been recommended by my endocrinologist is no jumping. I do hop on occasion when using an agility ladder on the floor but these a small hops and good for balance, cardio, and endurance. What do you do in weight training?

DO NOT do sit ups or twisting! Avoid flexing the spine! I do 10,000 steps a day (trying to lose weight), do 20 min of HIT (for cardio- keep cardiologist happy. I hate it) I do 5 min non-weighted exercise for flexibility and balance daily ( may replace with Tai Chi). I do band work and weight work (about 20 min total).
Walking, Tai Chi, Dancing, Hiking, and Racket Sports are good. Running on occasion can be good, but the body adapts if you run all the time, or do the same thing all the time. Confusion is good, for bones, diet, brain puzzles, etc.

I attached photos. For the photo exercises, I do non-weighted exercise for flexibility and balance daily. (labeled bone strength & balance, leg floor exercise). I do arm exercises (Tu, Th, Sat). I started with 5 lbs, and do three sets of 8-12 movements (reps). I add 1-5 lbs when the 12 reps becomes easy. Usually every 2-4 weeks. I am 10 lbs for dumbbell each arm lift when doing arm exercises, but shoulder band exercise is about 30 lbs. Leg days (M, W, F) Leg press with weights I am on the Total Gym with all 4 bands and calculating my body weight (about 100 lbs) All other leg band work is at 50 lbs) I do a farmer's carry (30 lbs for 10 laps around my sofa.Lol!) I am almost ready to add hip hinge, deadlift, and back squats.

@naturegirl5 I am doing weight training. I have severe osteoporosis (-3.5 spine, -2.9 and -2.8 in hips). I hired a personal trainer for 6 weeks to teach me proper form and how to use weight machines in my gym. In 3 months of lifting weights, I’ve been able to increase the weight I’m lifting 25-40 pounds on every machine I use. Leg press is now 90 pounds, chest press: 50 pounds, leg extensions: 65 pounds, back extensions: 70 pounds, abdominal extensions: 50 pounds. I enjoy the challenge and I feel great!

@bharris202 This is good news. You are wise to work with a personal trainer to learn proper form and technique. When I started lifting weights many years ago I don't even know if personal trainers were available. There were gym employees I could ask for help but really no one who watched me to comment on proper form. I'm sharing this because I had many injuries over the years from repetitive movements I should not have been doing. Since working with trainers, any injuries I have are of my own doing such as falling when x-country skiing or cycling.

It's great you enjoy the challenge and you feel good about your work. Are you still working with a personal trainer? Are you planning to lift free weights or bars in the future?

I just wish my knees were strong enough to walk. I had a misconception that if I didn’t use my knees for much that I could avoid knee replacements like all of my friends were getting. Well, my knees are great. But they don’t have any strength in them. Since I first fell four years ago and ended up in a rehabilitation nursing home, my spinal pain has been so bad that lying down on my side is the only thing that alleviates it. I need to walk my dog but so afraid of walking and tripping, I just stay home and do nothing. Horribly depressed. Loneliness is a definite problem and makes me want to do absolutely nothing because every time I go somewhere, everyone is younger and no one wants to strike up a conversation. This is not like me. I used to go places by myself and no one was a stranger. Most of my friends have passed and the ones left live out of state or they are busy with their grandchildren and children. My family is scattered all over with only one younger sister who lives here and is busy with her friends. I only see her at Christmas and maybe lunch twice a year. She does take me to procedures that require anesthesia. It’s just she’s 13 years younger and has her own friends plus she has a demanding job. There are no senior centers here.
I am in too much pain to volunteer.
Jump? I rarely walk and when I do it’s with a cane.

@naturegirl5

Well, but LIFTMORE program contains jumping, and there is an evidence that this program helps.

My rule is that it doesn’t hurt when I am doing it! Jumping hurts! I do other things!

@bswpb Haha! Me too. I tried jumping but it hurt. I do a little jogging in place, sort of like jumping:)

@summera1 haha jogging is bad for you! I walk and do a couple classes that are called Active and one Ability…geared for older adults. Low impact for joints with exercises to support bone density and balance. The other is for mobility, stability and flexibility. Sometimes modified circuit training or TRX workouts. Love it! It hurts but not like jumping or running and is so much fun!!!

A friend of mine who has mild osteoporosis of the hips jumps rope. Her last Dexa scan showed a slight improvement in her spine score, a slight decrease in one hip, and the other hip was about the same.

I have severe osteoporosis of the spine. I would never jump rope as my feet could get caught in the rope and I could fall. I was never a rope jumper as a child.

It doesn't appear to me that her numbers improved that much anyway.

My doctor is referring me to a physical therapist for exercises. IMO, if you have severe osteoporosis, it might be better to see PT than decide on your own what exercises (other than walking) are acceptable. I'm not sure I would lift a lot of weight without guidance. I don't know if a personal trainer is even qualified to determine what exercises are appropriate for someone with severe spinal osteoporosis.