Weight lifting - bone scans improved in one year!

@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!

@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.

@vga
Fantastic!

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

@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.

Yes, thank you, your comment is very enouraging. I am 75 years old, small frame at 5"2' and 105lbs. I slipped into the range for osteoporosis last year with a negative 2.5 in lumbar area with hip area remainig at negative 2.2. My primary care doctor referred me to a local clinic and I was told I had to immediately go on Fosamax. No mention of exercise or diet, just take this medicine or end up in a wheelchair in ten years!

Thankfully, I did research on my own and discovered this site and community.

In short, after weeks of researching and soul searching, I decided not to take the medication and to try and improve or hold steady through vitamins, weight lifting and diet change. I have a trainer at our local Y who specializes in "women of a certain age" and I started my weight training two months ago.

In the past, I was a runner, walker and took a yoga class four to five times a week. Now, I do weight training every other day along with a two to three mile walk, and just two yoga classes a week. I have increased my calcium intake greatly and added vitamin k and magnesium to the vitamin D and B12 I was already taking. And I also added a collagen supplement that contains Fortibone.

My trainer told me about an Instagram site by Dr. Lisa Wittstein. She is an orthopedic surgeon at Duke University Medical Center who specializes in women's bone health. She has good exercise and nutrition tips. I also visit Brick House Bones...both of these sites I find excellent.

Good luck to everyone!

@pattwc Thank you for sharing! Yes, I was initially devastated by the diagnosis, so I followed the advice to take Fosamax without fully understanding it, my thinking clouded with worry. I had a terrible reaction to the one dose of Fosamax, an intensely deep and overwhelming body ache, and it created gastric reflux problems for a month. I found the diet and exercise information on my own as I dug into the research about Fosamax effects. I also found this community--very grateful to all of you. I will look into the supplement, exercise, and medical source information you shared. Much appreciated!

Thanks for sharing

So happy for you. I'm doing a Liftmor program at a rehab PT facility near me but haven't had another scan (too soon) Another woman came up to me who was also doing it said the same thing, doing it here and at home she went from osteoporosis to osteopenia and wouldn't go on meds. Lots of hard work but it pays off many times.
Keep up the good work!

@pattwc WTG in doing your homework and going forward! I also was a runner and now walker in past, Pilates instead of yoga and still say that helped any lower back pain go away years ago.
I take calcium with Vit K2 and Vit D and had collagen with fortibone also.
I also have breast cancer in family, sister and mom (both did well) and recently read collagen could make dense breasts worse for scans. I get ultrasound also but want to talk to my doctor about it. I fell down a rabbit hole of conflicting articles and don't want to make it harder for them to read scans. If my PCP says it's okay, I'll continue.
I'm familiar with Brick House but not Lisa Wittstein. I didn't find her on a quick search but I'll look again. Fitness with PJ I will do on occasion for variety. Exercises end up being close to the same but it's what's weight you use. PJ will show modifications as others do also