It’s important for folks with O.I. (Osteogenesis Imperfecta) to do resistance training; working with weights and doing weight bearing exercises.
I know, from my own personal experience, how scary this could be for O.I.ers. I was always scared of pushing too hard and breaking something while working out. And of course, we all have different limits, but the one thing that we share is the fact that we can all push ourselves to, or past, these limits.
It’s important for us to do this because not only will we build muscle – which will help to protect the bones – but we will also BUILD MORE BONE!
OUR BONES ARE SUPER SMART
Bone is living. It’s constantly making new bone and getting rid of old bone through the help of Osteoclasts and Osteoblasts (more on these in a minute)! In regular folks, those without O.I., you can keep growing bone until you’re about 30 years old – that’s when you reach peak bone age. For O.I.ers, it will differ based on the Type that we have and tons of lifestyle choices as well.
Bones will respond to the weight that is being put upon them. When we put weight on the bones, the body is stimulated into creating Osteoblasts, and these are the cells that CREATE bone.
Exercise has also shown to inject life into the cartilage that is in between the bones! So you can avoid Arthritis as well!
DIFFERENT TYPES OF EXERCISES
Some basic weight bearing exercise that should be done include;
- lifting weights,
- walking,
- dancing,
- and push-ups
Exercises that ARE NOT weight bearing but could seem like they are include;
- swimming,
- and bike riding
LIFESTYLE CHOICES
Lifestyle choices also play a big part in bone formation. You’ll want to avoid smoking and drinking alcohol. You’ll want to get plenty of sleep, take additional calcium, Vitamin D, and other supplements to help with overall bone health to keep them strong.
Even if you’re an angel in the kitchen and in your social life (c’mon, who is?), EXERCISE HAS TO BE A PART OF IT. It doesn’t have to be a focused workout regime (although that is recommended), but it can be any sort of activity that will include weight bearing!
If you want to learn more about proper exercise, nutrition, and having a positive, pro-active attitude about life, then I can help! Contact me