The Effects of Exercise in the Treatment of Postmenopausal Osteoporosis

Abstract

<p>As the population continues to age, the prevalence of osteoporosis, especially in postmenopausal women continues to increase. The hallmark sign of osteoporosis is low bone mineral density, which can lead to fractures, resulting in surgery, severely lowered quality of life, and often death. The traditional treatment for osteoporosis was hormone replacement therapy, as well as calcium and vitamin D supplementation. More recently, exercise has emerged as a way to slow the progression of osteoporosis by retaining or increasing bone mineral density. This review will examine the traditional pharmaceutical treatments and several exercise-based treatments to show that resistance training is the most effective at increasing and retaining bone mineral density in postmenopausal women.</p>