If you've been diagnosed with osteoporosis, you need to start exercising. You might think that since you already have osteoporosis it's too late for the exercise. However, that's not true. Even if you've never exercised a day in your life, starting an exercise routine right now will help improve your symptoms of osteoporosis, strengthen your bones, and bring mobility back into your life. That doesn't mean you need to start in on a high-impact exercise routine. In fact, you want to stay away from the high-impact exercises. What you need is a good low-impact exercise that you can do on a daily basis. That's where walking comes in. Walking is a great way to get some exercise, and alleviate the symptoms of osteoporosis. Here are several tips that will help you get the most out of your daily walks:

Take it Up a Notch

Leisurely walks are great, but when you have osteoporosis, you need to take it up a notch – or two. While you're walking, go ahead and start out at a leisurely pace. About five minutes into your walk, speed things up and walk at a brisk pace for about two minutes. When the two minutes are up, go back to your leisurely pace. Continue to take a two-minute brisk walk every five minutes throughout your walk.

Look at Things Differently

When you take your walks, you're probably used to take a straight-ahead approach. If you want to give your joints a good workout and help reduce the symptoms of osteoporosis, you need to look at things differently once in a while. While you're walking, switch directions every few minutes. That means, walk forward for the first 5-10 minutes of your walk, and then try walking backward for about a minute. Walk straight for another 5-10 minutes and then turn to the side, and walk sideways for a minute or two. The change of direction will help move your joints and muscles.

Add Some Dimension to Your Walk

Once you've been walking for a while, and you've got your routine worked out, add some new dimensions to your walks. Find an area that has slight hills, or steps, and take those paths once or twice a week. The hills and steps will help keep your joints and muscles supple and will help alleviate some of the discomfort you're experiencing. Make sure the hills aren't too steep, and that there aren't too many steps along your path. Just a slight incline and a few steps will do it.

Make it an Aqua-Walk

If you've got a community pool in your neighborhood, add aqua-walks to your routine. Aqua-therapy is very beneficial for osteoporosis treatment. Spend about 30 minutes taking a walk in the pool. You can also walk around the park for about 15 minutes and then finish your walk in the pool.

Don't let osteoporosis slow you down. Add a daily walk to your routine to help reduce the symptoms, and restore your mobility. Talk to your doctor about osteoporosis treatments for more assistance.