14 Nov Bone Health
BONE HEALTH is an important part of overall health. Over 2.3 million Canadians are living with Osteoporosis. Fractures from osteoporosis are more common than heart attack, stroke and breast cancer combined. Keeping our bones healthy is an often overlooked but very important part of our health and wellness. Fortunately there are a number of things we can do to positively impact our bone health and prevent low bone mass and deterioration of bone tissue. One of the most impactful ways to do this is through regular strength training. Read Judy’s story about her journey with osteoporosis and how she was able to turn her bone density diagnosis around.
“My name is Judy and this is my journey living with an osteoporosis diagnosis that I received nearly 25 years ago.
I was on “yard duty” at the school where I taught and fell on the ice, damaged a couple of vertebrae and fractured my left wrist. My doctor insisted on a bone density test because he felt the damage I had incurred from the fall was a bit much for my age (43). The BD test revealed that my bones were roughly 20 years in advance of my age so they were basically bones that you would expect a 63 year old woman to have!
My doctor set me up with a specialist and my recovery began. I was placed on bisphosphonate therapy (1 pill per day), a calcium and vitamin D supplement, and later on, Hormone Replacement Therapy. I also walked and walked and walked as per instructed. My bone density improved over the years and I also started attending fitness classes.
I moved to Orangeville in 2011 and started to see a new specialist in Brampton around 2013. She decided to put me on a “drug holiday” which kind of panicked me at first. She wanted me to keep walking and working out but suggested more resistance training as opposed to cardio to try and improve my bone density. I got into both TRX and weight training regularly. I pushed myself more and more to try and improve my condition without the use of medication. Every follow up BD test showed either an improvement or a stable result! I rarely, if ever, have back pain anymore!
During Covid, I returned to work full time as opposed to part time and found it difficult to go to the gym because either it had to “shut down” or I was just too tired to make the effort! For nearly 2-1/2 years, I did not lift a weight or work on TRX training. Guess what??? Yes, my bone density once again decreased! Although I planned to work another 2 years, I retired at the end of June, 2022 and work as an occasional supply teacher now. This allows me to once again attend the gym pretty much on a daily basis and I am excited to see the results of my next BD test! I know that attending a gym on a daily basis is not possible or practical for everybody but I cannot emphasize enough how important strength training is in maintaining strong, healthy bones!”
If you feel you would benefit from a regular strength workout, please message us