Home exercises for osteoporosis – gentle exercises for the spine, back and hips
Take your time with the exercises, move slowly and gently and take breaks if you need to. Talk to your doctor about which exercises are suitable for you. The following exercises are specifically for osteoporosis patients (with an osteoporotic vertebral fracture).
Standing exercises: Postural training and muscle training
Straightening of the cervical spine
Aim: Postural training, stretching of the neck muscles.
Starting position: Stand upright with your legs hip-width apart behind a chair.
Exercise: Place two fingers on your chin, push your head towards your back with your chin until you can feel a stretch in your neck muscles.
5 repetitions, hold this position for 10 seconds
Lifting your leg to the side
Aim: Strengthening the lateral hip muscles.
Starting position: Stand behind a chair and hold onto the backrest.
Exercise: Lift your outstretched leg up to the side and carefully lower it again. Your upper body is to remain straight throughout this.
10 repetitions per leg
Rocking your feet
Aim: Strengthening of the calf muscles and dorsal flexors of the feet/stabilisation of the leg axis.
Starting position: Stand behind a chair.
Exercise: Slowly lift your heel (do not overstretch knees), slowly lower your heel again, lift your toes, lower your toes again.
10 to 20 repetitions
Seated exercises for the back and legs
From sitting to standing
Aim: Strengthening of the “leg extenders”.
Starting position: Sit up straight on a chair, legs hip-width apart.
Exercise: Pull your feet slightly behind the chair, lean your upper body forward slightly and stand up (you can use the chair for support), look forward, move backwards in small steps until your legs reach the edge of the chair, slowly lower your buttocks onto the chair (you can hold onto the chair).
10 repetitions
Rowing while sitting on a chair
Aim: Strengthening of the shoulder girdle and back muscles.
Starting position: Sit on a chair, place training band in the middle under the soles of your feet.
Exercise: Hold the ends of the training band with both hands and pull backward until your hands are at torso height (“rowing motion”).
10 to 20 repetitions
Strengthening exercise with the training band
Pulling to the side
Aim: Strengthening of the shoulder girdle and back muscles.
Starting position: Stretch your arms out in front, shoulder-width apart, and hold onto a training band.
Exercise: Move your outstretched arms to the sides while putting tension on the band (keep hands at shoulder height where possible).
10 repetitions
Osteoporosis and movement: Which kinds of sport are suitable?
It is important for osteoporosis patients to counteract muscle loss and stay active to prevent fractures as effectively as possible. Sport and movement contribute to preventing osteoporosis. Daily walks and stairclimbing are easy to integrate in your day-to-day life. Strength training, tai-chi, swimming, cycling or Nordic walking are examples of suitable types of sport. Meditative relaxation exercises which provide a calm sequence of movements, train balance and strengthen mental balance are suitable and are generally easy for osteoporosis patients to implement.
