How much weight lifting is required to build bone?

I’ll look for the videos on YouTube…I’m a visual learner. 🙃Thank you!

I don't lift weights, but when I asked about it I was told to do "weight bearing exercises". Not being the same as lifting weights for bulk. It involves ankle weights and wrist weights (for example) along with exercises.

Thank you. I’m looking into Dr Loren Fishman’s yoga which I can do at home.

I would recommend to all to invest in Margaret Martin’s book “Exercise for Better Bones” to answer questions regarding about what, and how to implement an exercise program geared toward osteoporosis. I’ve said this before , but she has a big presence on YouTube, and has a website , http://www.Melioguide.com to learn more about exercises and much, much more!!
Good luck as we understand more fully how to spend our time effectively when we exercise and hope for gains or maintaining our BMD!!!

I’ll check this out. Thank you!

I agree that Margaret Martin https://melioguide.com/ is a wealth of information when it comes to everything osteoporosis. The one issue I have found, in general, when looking for osteoporosis related information is that so much of it is geared toward 70+ y.o. people. I was diagnosed with osteoporosis 4 yrs ago at age 50 (L1-L4 average t-score at that time was -3.9) and when I researched safe exercises, I found everything to be way too easy. I asked 2 doctors, my endocrinologist and an orthopedics doctor and my endocrinologist stuck w/ the unhelpful light weights and walking—if this could help me, I wouldn’t have osteoporosis because I’ve been doing both of these things my entire adult life—and the orthopedics doctor suggested I take up running. I was able to get a few session w/ a physical therapist, who works at an orthopedics medical practice. She didn’t have any real experience working with ppl with osteoporosis because apparently most ppl w/ osteoporosis don’t seek out this type of help and the exercises suggested by the physical therapist were too easy for me so I quit physical therapy and joined a gym and have gradually increased my weights. Note, I haven’t had any fractures and I’m just hoping all my hard work will pay off—I’ve been going to the gym 3 days a week since January 2022.

Fear fracture… Since you haven’t fractured , in addition to exercise, I hope you are looking at other root causes for having osteoporosis. There are many!! Additionally, if you haven’t gone through menopause yet, investigate measures as you near that time to keep loss of bone to a minimum.

@fearfraacture Question: Are you on med? Also, did you have any improvement in your scores or have you not had a repeat dexascan? Thanks in advance for your reply.

Currently, I’m not on meds but I did take bisphosphonates for approximately 2.5 yrs. From late January 2020 through mid-July 2021 (so a little less than 1.5 yrs) I took alendronate. The alendronate caused digestive tract issues so I quit taking it the week of my 2nd DEXA which was done in July 2021. I took a 4 month bisphosphonate holiday and in mid-November 2021, I received one zoledronic acid infusion. My endocrinologist really pushed meds and told me my bones were “horrible” and unfortunately, I didn’t start doing my own research until after I’d had the infusion. My endocrinologist was expecting me to have another infusion in November 2022 but I chose not to have it and I’m currently not taking any meds.

Regarding your question about if my t-scores have improved, the answer is yes, but not a great deal.

Bisphosphonates work by slowing bone resorption (bone turnover). Because my endocrinologist failed to test my BTMs prior to prescribing bisphosphonates, I don’t have a true baseline for my BTMs. When I learned about BTM testing in 2022, I requested the tests and had the bloodwork done one year after having had the zoledronic acid infusion (bisphosphonates have long half life and may still be effecting my BTMs but there is no way to know this for certain).

My BTMs are not elevated so bisphosphonates don’t seem like the right option for me. Bisphosphonates don’t build new bone, they just slow down resorption and also interfere with bone growth, which is another this my endocrinologist failed to mention to me. I specifically asked him about not taking meds way back in January 2020. I asked how I could improve my bones naturally. When he whipped out his prescription pad he failed to tell me that the bisphosphonates would work against my building new bone naturally.

Note, I also have hypothyroidism and hypothyroidism slows bone down almost every single function in your body, including building new bone. My endocrinologist was already treating my hypothyroidism when I was diagnosis diagnosed with osteoporosis, which is one of the reasons I trusted him then. I been looking for a new doctor but until I find something who can order my thyroid labs and who is willing to write a prescription for levothyroxine, I stuck with my current endocrinologist.

The only t-score I know without looking it all up is for my total lumbar spine. In July 2019 it was -3.9 and in December 2022 it was -3.6. You may be thinking an increase of .3 is good but that was over 3.5 yrs. Also there is a chance that my improved t-scores aren’t improvements at all—on my very 1st DEXA my left hip number was off and when I had a DEXA 2 yrs later it showed my left hip had improved by 10% which is complete hogwash—the more likely scenario is that my 2019 DEXA was wrong. Also because I started taking levothyroxine in 2017, my bones might have already been improving a little because the levothyroxine helps gets everything back on track.

Note, I’m not anti-osteoporosis meds, but I do think doctors rush to write prescriptions and I also think that most doctors who claim to treat osteoporosis have no clue what they are doing. I asked my endocrinologist and another endocrinologist where I could get a DEXA with TBS, neither had a clue. I really don’t get how an endocrinologist doesn’t know where PT’s with osteoporosis can get DEXAs with TBS—it means they are NEVER looking at the full picture. Also, when I had my BTMs done I went to corporate lab, meaning my blood wasn’t drawn at my doctor’s office. The phlebotomist had to hunt for the codes and make few calls, which again tells me know doctors in my area are ordering these tests.

I am amazed by you and what you’ve accomplished with your weight lifting. I hope I can commit like you did. I hope you find another helpful trainer soon.