How to Use Exercise Machines to Prevent Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a condition characterized by a weakening of the bones that generally occurs in women as they age. According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, there is an estimated 75 million people in America, Japan and Europe who suffer from this condition. Proper dietary habits are a big contributor to the prevention strategy, but there is another part of the equation that is just as important--weight-bearing exercise. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, bones get stronger and denser when more resistance is put on them.

Instructions

• 1

  Work your upper body. To work the upper body, use the chest press, shoulder press, back row, triceps machine and biceps curl. There is also a machine that allows you to work your biceps or triceps. For the triceps, you kneel on a pad, hold on to side grips and push yourself up. For the bicep exercise, you grab on to a pullup bar over your head with an underhand grip and pull yourself up. For this machine, you can reduce the resistance of the body to make the exercise easier.

• 2

  Work the lower body. The legs are the largest muscle group in the body. To work them with machines, utilize the leg press, hack squat, hamstring curl and calf-raise machine. There is also something called the Smith Machine that has a fixed bar that slides up and down two closed-in bars. It has safety catches on it and it can be used for squats, lunges and calf raises.

• 3

  Do cardiovascular exercise. Aerobic types of training are also beneficial for preventing osteoporosis, provided there is weight bearing going on. For example, swimming or water aerobics are both good for your cardiovascular system, but they are not going to put any weight on your bones. Better options would be the treadmill and stair stepper.

• 4

  Use cable machines. There is also a machine called a cable crossover with various handles and attachments that utilize cables and pulleys. With this machine, you can work every muscle group. Some examples of exercises are chest crossovers, tricep pushdowns, cable curls and upright rows.