I heard the same exciting information twice within a day and the topic of the week was born. The first was when a long-time member and friend shares that she has started strength training because she was diagnosed with osteopenia, and that she was enjoying it a lot. The second friend had begun physical therapy due to her recent diagnosis of the same condition and she too, has started strength training and is liking it as well. Both of these ladies are active, with thin statures, in their late 60’s and early 70’s and both were surprised by their diagnosis.
Fortunately, neither of them had experienced a broken bone, which is often the first sign of osteoporosis. This is why it is called the ‘silent disease’ because most people don’t know that their bones have weakened and that they are now threatened by osteopenia and/or osteoporosis.
Osteopenia is the stepping stone towards osteoporosis. Think of it as halfway between having healthy bones and osteoporosis. Our bones are at their strongest when we are about 30 years of age. Osteopenia usually occurs after the age of 50, if it happens at all. If you are a person who has strong bones when you are young and if they remain hardy as you age, you may never get osteopenia.
“Osteo” means bone and “porous” means with holes. In the case of our human bones, the inside has a honeycomb appearance and when our bones lose their density; these honeycomb holes become larger in size causing the bones to become weaker.
If your bones aren’t naturally dense or hardy, you might get osteoporosis at an earlier age.
Osteoporosis happens when your body starts losing bone, doesn’t make enough bone, or both, causing weak bones that will then break easier.
“There’s often nothing wrong with the bone, there’s just too little of it,” Says Susan L. Greenspan, MD, director of the Osteoporosis Prevention and Treatment Center and the Bone Health Program at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. “Imagine a stool that only has two legs instead of four. It’s much easier to break.” (WebMD, Ellis, 5/23/18)
Aging, gender and past broken bones are the first indicators of the onset of osteopenia. Other things that would increase your risk for osteoporosis include; family history of the disease, medical conditions (overactive thyroid condition, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, lung diseases and Parkinson’s), certain medications (steroids, heartburn, seizure and cancer medications), early menopause, lack of exercise, an ectomorph body type, low calcium or vitamin D, not eating enough fruits and veggies, smoking, not enough protein, too much sodium, caffeine or alcohol.
Signs that might raise your chances of osteoporosis include breaking a bone after the age of 50, back pain, loss of half-inch in a year or 1 1⁄2 inches off your original height.
The best way to determine your bone density is by using a density testing machine, or DEXA. “Bone density testing lets the health care provider know if the bone is normal, on its way to osteoporosis or osteoporotic,” Greenspan says. “It’s easy, comfortable and low radiation.”
The best news for my friends, who brought this topic into our week, is that Osteopenia/Osteoporosis is reversible almost at any age. It all begins with exercise, diet and medications.
Exercise: you need to do weight-bearing activities, which mean activities that include weight being added to your muscles and bones. When the muscles are put under stress of contracting, the ligaments attaching those muscles to the bones force the bone to become stronger.
Weight-bearing means that your feet, legs and hips are supporting your body weight while performing the exercise of your choice (walking, hiking, dancing, stair climbing). Swimming and cycling don’t qualify as weight bearing.
Keep in mind that you need to focus on your upper body as well, walking and stair climbing are amazing for lower body strength and balance, but it doesn’t challenge the bones of your upper body.
Only a focused, full-body weight training program will do that! As for your medications, I’ll let you discuss that with your favorite physician.
What I can say, is that focusing on a diet that includes healthy calcium, vitamin D, green leafy vegetables, protein, reduced salt, less caffeine and less alcohol would be a good recommendation to add to that consistent strength training routine.
