Osteoporosis is not reversible, but medication, a nutrient-dense diet, and weight bearing exercise can help prevent further bone loss and rebuild bones.
Regular exercise
Adults aged 19 to 64 should do at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as cycling or fast walking, every week. Weight-bearing exercise and resistance exercise are particularly important for improving bone density and helping to prevent osteoporosis.
Calcium supplements and osteoporosis medications can stop bone loss -- which allows the bone to rebuild itself, Diemer explains. "But the body needs 'encouragement' to rebuild bone," she adds. "The skeleton needs to be under stress so it will get stronger." That's why exercise is important for better bone health.
Studies have shown that people reversed osteoporosis naturally when they: Followed a therapeutic exercise program with adequate levels of weight bearing.
Examples include walking, dancing, low-impact aerobics, elliptical training machines, stair climbing and gardening. These types of exercise work directly on the bones in your legs, hips and lower spine to slow mineral loss.
Several natural interventions promote increased bone health. These include sufficient consumption of bone-supportive nutrients through healthy eating and nutritional supplements, including calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, boron, strontium, soy isoflavones, and vitamin K.
A lifelong lack of calcium plays a role in the development of osteoporosis. Low calcium intake contributes to diminished bone density, early bone loss and an increased risk of fractures. Eating disorders. Severely restricting food intake and being underweight weakens bone in both men and women.
The short answer is no, osteoporosis cannot be completely reversed and is not considered curable, but there are a number of health and lifestyle adjustments you can make to improve bone loss. Your provider may also prescribe you medications to help rebuild and slow down bone loss.
Can you reverse osteoporosis? Technically, once you have osteoporosis, you have it for life. It's incurable. However, there are ways to prevent it, ways to slow down its progression, and — if you catch it early enough — ways to counteract it.
Exercise
Just 30 minutes of exercise each day can help strengthen bones and prevent osteoporosis. Weight-bearing exercises, such as yoga, tai chi, and even walking, help the body resist gravity and stimulate bone cells to grow. Strength-training builds muscles which also increases bone strength.
Examples of good bone-building exercises including squats, shoulder presses, deadlifts, lunges, push ups, and pull ups. “Yoga moves like downward dog are also great,” she says.
You can prevent bone loss with regular exercise, such as walking. If you have osteoporosis or fragile bones, regular brisk walking can help to keep your bones strong and reduce the risk of a fracture in the future.
Long-term brisk walking is an efficient way to improve BMD. Taking brisk walks for 30 minutes per day 3 or more times per week (volume>16) is recommended to prevent bone loss in premenopausal women.
Beverage options that are better choices include calcium and vitamin D-fortified juices, plain or chocolate milk, or flavored waters. While caffeine is widely believed to have some health benefits, it is also proven to deplete calcium from bones.
Natural treatment of osteoporosis can include exercise, dietary changes, quitting smoking, and lowering alcohol and caffeine intake. Supplementation of vitamin D and exposure to sunlight can also improve bone health.
Weight-bearing exercises, such as walking, jogging, and climbing stairs, can help you build strong bones and slow bone loss. Avoid substance abuse. Don't smoke. If you are a woman, avoid drinking more than one alcoholic drink each day.
The bone-building phase in young adults -- at its speediest -- takes three to four months, and it may take a lot longer if you have osteoporosis or are older. So you won't be seeing big changes on any bone density tests after your first week of working out. Bones change slowly -- but they do change.
Does osteoporosis affect life expectancy? Osteoporosis is not a terminal illness and does not directly influence life expectancy. However, having a fracture can affect it. For example, a 2021 study found that older adults living in a care facility who experienced a hip fracture had a 25% death rate after 3 months.
This excess risk is more pronounced in the first few years on treatment. The average life expectancy of osteoporosis patients is in excess of fifteen years in women below the age of 75 and in men below the age of 60, highlighting the importance of developing tools for long term management.