Weight lifting - bone scans improved in one year!

Posted by vga @vga, 2 days ago

I'm a 62-year-old woman, average weight, healthy eater, and a runner. I was diagnosed with osteoporosis last year with my first bone scan. I tried one dose of oral Fosamax--it made me terribly sick--so I stopped immediately. I researched alternatives, adding Vitamin K2 and D to my supplements, and started weight lifting with heavy weights 5-6 times a week. I researched specific osteroporosis weight lifting programs, but couldn't find a coach nearby. So, I just started using youtube videos and lifting heavy weights. I just had a repeat bone scan that showed improvement in all my numbers--moving osteoporosis to osteopenia for some locations. My worst area is my L3--this improved by 30%! In one year! Very excited to share this. I hope that sharing my results might encourage others to try weight lifing.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Osteoporosis & Bone Health Support Group.

melia7 | @melia7 | 11 hours ago

In reply to @vga "For my weightlifting program, I first watched YouTube videos from "Brick House Bones" (she shares excellent..." + (show)

@vga
During several years I got a support from other members of this forum in taking care of my osteoporosis. Many advices were individual, but others were beneficial to everybody.
Sharing your results with weightlifting are of great importance for me, but also to my opinion to the majority of persons suffering from osteoporosis. Your message is one of the best, hope giving messages that were posted in this forum. Thank you!

mwallj | @mwallj | 9 hours ago

In reply to @vga "For my weightlifting program, I first watched YouTube videos from "Brick House Bones" (she shares excellent..." + (show)

@vga Congratulations and thanks for sharing. I’m curious to know, because it’s always hard to separate these things, did you change other significant things such as going on HRT or significantly changing your diet? I’m 63, with scores in -3.0 to -3.3. I’m doing Onero plus starting HRT, plus changing my diet and supplements, throwing everything I can at it. Only a month in so it will be a long time to see results.

shmbrd | @shmbrd | 8 hours ago

In reply to @vga "Here are my results. I should have written L4, not L3, as the largest improvement in..." + (show)

@vga
Fantastic!

shmbrd | @shmbrd | 8 hours ago

My doctor recommends -
Youtube channel of Margaret Martin, PT- https://www.youtube.com/results
Osteoporosis foundation website - http://www.bonehealthandosteoporosis.org/patients

vga | @vga | 2 hours ago

In reply to @mwallj "@vga Congratulations and thanks for sharing. I’m curious to know, because it’s always hard to separate..." + (show)

@mwallj Sure--happy to share. I'm not on HRT. My diet has been steady for the past few years: basically, lean meat, vegetables, and some dairy. I run high on A1C (5.8), so I stay as low-carb as I can. The only additions other than weight-lifting have been Vitamin K2 and D for supplements. However, I have paid more attention to my protein intake, making sure I have adequate protein each day. I wasn't so careful earlier; I started that with weight-lifting. If I don't take in enough protein during the day, I'll have a scoop of whey protein in water (no flavors, sugars, or sweeteners). I have long taken Omega 3, a multivitamin with zinc, and magnesium. I drink milk with my coffee (homemade latte) and eat raw yogurt daily. I still run (I'm a very slow, unimpressive runner), but not as much as now weight-lifting is my primary exercise routine. The bone scan machine was the same one that scanned me last year. I think I even had the same technician. Aside from the scan results, I feel much stronger, more capable, and more confident in my body. I started with very low weights I could barely budge, but quickly kept trying to move up as I've learned heavy weights matter.